Flight Crew Commercial
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; General Declared Emergency
Aircraft
During the takeoff roll all seemed normal at the V1/rotate call the aircraft started to shake almost like a bad shimmy dampener on a small aircraft. After a positive rate of climb was attained we decided to leave the gear down with the assumption we blew a tire on takeoff. We also left the flaps at 9 just in case we damaged the flaps with the flying rubber. Around 200 FT we noted that the right main gear indication turned from green to amber then finally red and we got the master warning for a landing gear disagree. ATC instructed us to contact departure and at that time we let them know we thought we blew a tire and we would like to stay in the pattern. ATC approved and we entered left downwind for 32. We declared an emergency and let them know about our gear indication. We asked them if they could look on the runway for tire debris and any metal debris that could help determine how bad we damaged the landing gear. On the downwind we discussed that fact that we were not loosing fuel/oil/hydraulic fluid and all other systems appear normal. We also discussed that fact that we have plenty of time and fuel to trouble shoot and an immediate return was not necessary. Also on the downwind we let the Flight Attendant know what was going on and our intentions to return to [the airport]. We asked her to prepare the cabin for an evacuation due to our gear indication. We also asked her to make the initial announcements to the passengers and we would talk to them in a bit. At that point we decided to come off of the downwind to overfly the Tower and see if they could get a visual on the damage and to ascertain if the gear appeared in the down/locked position. After a flyover and confirmation that the gear appeared to be down and locked we asked to go over the water to eliminate the possibility of dropping aircraft parts into the houses below while running the appropriate checklists. And we let them know our plan was to return to [the airport] shortly. Once over the water we orbited VFR while running the Landing Gear Disagree Checklist. We both agreed we would not cycle the gear as instructed due to possibility of not getting it back down again in the event that had bent metal in the gear mechanism. (ATC said they did not find metallic parts on the runway but later it was discovered they did find a sheared bolt and nut). We then accomplished the emergency landing gear extension procedure to try to get a down and locked indication. (No luck) an announcement was then made to the passengers that stated what was going on and the fact that we thought a sensor was damaged but we are going to treat it as if the gear is not locked down. To get additional input from someone outside looking in; we had the jumpseating First Officer call us on the interphone and advised him of the situation. We wanted to see if he had any additional ideas or if he thought we were missing anything. We had him explain what he felt in the cabin and asked him to look at the flaps to see if there was any visible damage. At this point it was apparent that we were going to have to land with the gear not showing down and locked. And we discussed the various factors affecting the landing as well as the possible evacuation logistics. We were now below landing weight and had done everything we could think of. We opted to overfly the Tower once more since many more observers had gathered. They noted that it looked like only one of the mains was blown and the gear still appeared down and locked. We entered left traffic again and finished the appropriate checklists for depressurizing and turning on the emergency lights in preparation for the evacuation. We made one last PA to let the passengers know that just because it might be rough and the emergency lights were on they are not to evacuate until instructed to do so by the flight deck or the flight attendant. I also let them know that the next PA will be the brace command. The landing was uneventful and shortly after touchdown wehad a down and locked indication on the EICAS. The ARFF got a temperature reading and no sign of fire was noted. Since we now had a steady gear down and locked indication; we opted to taxi very slowly to the gate and deplane via the jet bridge.Blown tire and aircraft damage was a threat. Landing gear not down and locked indication during landing was an undesired aircraft state.
An E-145 flight crew suffered a blown main gear tire on takeoff. They remained in the pattern; performed two inspection flybys of the Tower; and landed uneventfully.