Congrats to the crew bound for SLC from JFK aircraft blew a tire on takeoff then safely returning back to JFK

MyFox New York | Delta Jetliner Makes Emergency Landing at Kennedy Airport

I have a question about this. May be a dumb one but here goes. Why would they circle? Why not just head to SLC as planned? Would the blown tire really affect the safety of flight after the aircraft took off? Sorry if it is a dumb question but I just had to ask.

When you blow a tire you don't know if it had any impact on any of the systems in that wheel well. I'd rather be on short final or circling near an airport when I find out that my hydraulic or flight control system is malfunctioning than at 380 looking down at the desert.

Agree - plus you don't want to be raising any damaged gear thereby possibly causing more damage. The news reported this morning that the aircraft did have hydraulic problems also. Sounds like the crew did an excellent job.

USMCFLYR

Ummm... Remeber this???



BBC News | UK | Concorde fuel tanks 'ruptured six times'

The Concorde ran over the superhard titanium strip, which shredded one of its tires, causing a blowout and sending debris flying into an engine and a fuel tank.

The B737-800 has a device that won't let the gear up in the wheelwell to do damage. (part of our preflight) As for continuing to SLC...not enough gas with the gear hanging out. Note to the Media...NO FUEL DUMP..on any B737's that I know of!

Great job to the crew, remember only 1 emergency per day so take the rest off! Fli

Can you elaborate on this device?

Its been awhile but I will try and draw on my old 737 knowledge. There is a small tube looking device that is right below the gear well. If it gets cut for any reason it is supposed to relieve hydraulic pressure I believe and cause the gear to extend. In theory, a shredded tire would strike this device and cut it off. The gear would then extend back down. This would prevent a shredded tire from affecting gear status while retracted or prevent shredded tire fragments from coming in contact with a hot brake. You had to make sure this was intact on every walk around. Kind of an ingenious device. However, any current 737 pilot may have a better explanation than me.

You pretty much nailed it. Its a frangible do-hickey. Even if you didn't have this low tech, yet effective device, you would never want to raise gear with a blown tire unless you absolutely needed to (ie. obstacle clearance) because the tire debris may get hung up and the gear may not come down.

PS. ACEV8R - The only dumb questions are the ones your wife/girlfriend etc asks even when its obvious you aren't paying attention and then you have to come up with an answer that does not give away the fact that you have no idea what she just said.

Scoop

You got it right.....if you want to get technical, the systems term for it is "the Frangible Impact Fitting". The little shear pin/button is right on the ring of the main gear well and theoretically, a spinning wheel with a seperated tread hits the fitting causing all 'UP' hydraulic pressure to be dumped and the gear freefalls back down.