What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The takeoff roll from runway 23L at rdu was normal until just after reaching V1. Between V1 and vr, a vibration began and continued to increase as the aircraft accelerated. The vibration persisted after liftoff. Suspecting a potential tire issue, I briefly applied brake pressure prior to calling for the landing gear to be retracted. The vibration immediately ceased upon application of brake pressure. After establishing communication with departure control, we advised them of a possible tire failure and requested that the runway be checked for debris. Initially, air traffic control asked an aircraft departing behind us to visually inspect the runway. That aircraft reported no visible debris. Because the abnormal vibration suggested a mechanical issue, we requested a low approach so that rdu tower and airport operations could visually inspect the landing gear. No obvious abnormalities were reported from that inspection. Despite these reports, we remained confident that a problem existed. We climbed to 3,000 feet to discuss our next steps while remaining in the local area. Shortly thereafter, departure control advised that airport operations had conducted a physical inspection of the runway by vehicle and had located tire debris. Based on this information, we elected to return to runway 23R, the longest runway at rdu, for landing. As a precaution, we requested crash fire rescue (CFR) to be present for the landing. We consulted the aircraft checklist for procedures related to landing with a blown tire; however, no specific checklist item addressed this condition. The approach and landing were completed without difficulty. During the landing roll, the previously noted vibration was present but remained manageable.
After clearing the runway, CFR personnel conducted an initial external inspection of the aircraft and confirmed an issue with the left main landing gear tire. At that point we shut down the aircraft and requested a tug.
Upon exiting the aircraft, I observed that the tread on the left main tire had separated from the tire casing, although the tire itself appeared to remain inflated.
As the FAA filed it
THE TAKEOFF ROLL FROM RUNWAY 23L AT RDU WAS NORMAL UNTIL JUST AFTER REACHING V1. BETWEEN V1 AND VR, A VIBRATION BEGAN AND CONTINUED TO INCREASE AS THE AIRCRAFT ACCELERATED. THE VIBRATION PERSISTED AFTER LIFTOFF. SUSPECTING A POTENTIAL TIRE ISSUE, I BRIEFLY APPLIED BRAKE PRESSURE PRIOR TO CALLING FOR THE LANDING GEAR TO BE RETRACTED. THE VIBRATION IMMEDIATELY CEASED UPON APPLICATION OF BRAKE PRESSURE. AFTER ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION WITH DEPARTURE CONTROL, WE ADVISED THEM OF A POSSIBLE TIRE FAILURE AND REQUESTED THAT THE RUNWAY BE CHECKED FOR DEBRIS. INITIALLY, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL ASKED AN AIRCRAFT DEPARTING BEHIND US TO VISUALLY INSPECT THE RUNWAY. THAT AIRCRAFT REPORTED NO VISIBLE DEBRIS. BECAUSE THE ABNORMAL VIBRATION SUGGESTED A MECHANICAL ISSUE, WE REQUESTED A LOW APPROACH SO THAT RDU TOWER AND AIRPORT OPERATIONS COULD VISUALLY INSPECT THE LANDING GEAR. NO OBVIOUS ABNORMALITIES WERE REPORTED FROM THAT INSPECTION. DESPITE THESE REPORTS, WE REMAINED CONFIDENT THAT A PROBLEM EXISTED. WE CLIMBED TO 3,000 FEET TO DISCUSS OUR NEXT STEPS WHILE REMAINING IN THE LOCAL AREA. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, DEPARTURE CONTROL ADVISED THAT AIRPORT OPERATIONS HAD CONDUCTED A PHYSICAL INSPECTION OF THE RUNWAY BY VEHICLE AND HAD LOCATED TIRE DEBRIS. BASED ON THIS INFORMATION, WE ELECTED TO RETURN TO RUNWAY 23R, THE LONGEST RUNWAY AT RDU, FOR LANDING. AS A PRECAUTION, WE REQUESTED CRASH FIRE RESCUE (CFR) TO BE PRESENT FOR THE LANDING. WE CONSULTED THE AIRCRAFT CHECKLIST FOR PROCEDURES RELATED TO LANDING WITH A BLOWN TIRE; HOWEVER, NO SPECIFIC CHECKLIST ITEM ADDRESSED THIS CONDITION. THE APPROACH AND LANDING WERE COMPLETED WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE PREVIOUSLY NOTED VIBRATION WAS PRESENT BUT REMAINED MANAGEABLE.
AFTER CLEARING THE RUNWAY, CFR PERSONNEL CONDUCTED AN INITIAL EXTERNAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND CONFIRMED AN ISSUE WITH THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR TIRE. AT THAT POINT WE SHUT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT AND REQUESTED A TUG.
UPON EXITING THE AIRCRAFT, I OBSERVED THAT THE TREAD ON THE LEFT MAIN TIRE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE CASING, ALTHOUGH THE TIRE ITSELF APPEARED TO REMAIN INFLATED.