What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While taxi for takeoff, the crew heard a loud noise accompanied by a shudder. The aircraft stopped. The crew asked ATC to have a ramp vehicle inspect the aircraft. Once the aircraft was inspected the ops ramp vehicle informed the crew that a tire had failed and separated from the aircraft. The tire was located behind the aircraft at the point where it had stopped its taxi. During this time, the crew received no alerts or abnormal indications. Once receiving all clear from ops ramp personnel, the crew decided to taxi the aircraft back to parking for evaluation. Once parked, the crew observed damage to the wheel well area and that the tire-hub had separated from the axle. During subsequent interviews with the crew, they were questioned if any consideration was given to deplaning the passengers before taxiing to the terminal. The captain explained they concluded it was unnecessary given no adverse report by the ramp safety vehicle, e.g. fuel leak, only the missing tire. The lack of guidance for such a situation in company or manufacturer documents and the absence of abnormal cockpit indications, warnings or alerts guided his decision in the interest of passenger safety. The aircraft was 10,000 lbs. Below max ramp weight and was only 50% of passenger max loading. privacy data omitted Has no procedures for such a rare event, and they stated they could not fault the captain. The caa-bahamas has posed no queries regarding the captain’s decision to return to the terminal. The crew followed all privacy data omitted procedures. Once at the gate, the passengers exited the aircraft normally with no incident. Operations investigation completed.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE TAXI FOR TAKEOFF, THE CREW HEARD A LOUD NOISE ACCOMPANIED BY A SHUDDER. THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED. THE CREW ASKED ATC TO HAVE A RAMP VEHICLE INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED THE OPS RAMP VEHICLE INFORMED THE CREW THAT A TIRE HAD FAILED AND SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE TIRE WAS LOCATED BEHIND THE AIRCRAFT AT THE POINT WHERE IT HAD STOPPED ITS TAXI. DURING THIS TIME, THE CREW RECEIVED NO ALERTS OR ABNORMAL INDICATIONS. ONCE RECEIVING ALL CLEAR FROM OPS RAMP PERSONNEL, THE CREW DECIDED TO TAXI THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO PARKING FOR EVALUATION. ONCE PARKED, THE CREW OBSERVED DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL WELL AREA AND THAT THE TIRE-HUB HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AXLE. DURING SUBSEQUENT INTERVIEWS WITH THE CREW, THEY WERE QUESTIONED IF ANY CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN TO DEPLANING THE PASSENGERS BEFORE TAXIING TO THE TERMINAL. THE CAPTAIN EXPLAINED THEY CONCLUDED IT WAS UNNECESSARY GIVEN NO ADVERSE REPORT BY THE RAMP SAFETY VEHICLE, E.G. FUEL LEAK, ONLY THE MISSING TIRE. THE LACK OF GUIDANCE FOR SUCH A SITUATION IN COMPANY OR MANUFACTURER DOCUMENTS AND THE ABSENCE OF ABNORMAL COCKPIT INDICATIONS, WARNINGS OR ALERTS GUIDED HIS DECISION IN THE INTEREST OF PASSENGER SAFETY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS 10,000 LBS. BELOW MAX RAMP WEIGHT AND WAS ONLY 50% OF PASSENGER MAX LOADING. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAS NO PROCEDURES FOR SUCH A RARE EVENT, AND THEY STATED THEY COULD NOT FAULT THE CAPTAIN. THE CAA-BAHAMAS HAS POSED NO QUERIES REGARDING THE CAPTAIN’S DECISION TO RETURN TO THE TERMINAL. THE CREW FOLLOWED ALL ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PROCEDURES. ONCE AT THE GATE, THE PASSENGERS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT NORMALLY WITH NO INCIDENT. OPERATIONS INVESTIGATION COMPLETED.