Accident Convair CV-990-30A-5 Coronado N712NA,

Date:	Wednesday 17 July 1985
Time:	18:10
Type:	Convair CV-990-30A-5 Coronado
Owner/operator:	NASA
Registration:	N712NA
MSN:	30-10-37
Year of manufacture:	1961
Total airframe hrs:	12104 hours
Cycles:	4974 flights
Engine model:	General Electric CJ805-23B
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 19
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	Riverside-March AFB, CA (RIV) - United States of America
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Survey
Departure airport:	Riverside-March AFB, CA (RIV/KRIV)
Destination airport:	Riverside-March AFB, CA (RIV/KRIV)
Investigating agency:	NASA
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The Convair suffered a blown tire during takeoff at a speed of around 140 knots (Vr=154 kts). The runway 32 takeoff was rejected immediately. The captain tried to clear the runway but brought the aircraft to a stop when hearing about a fire on the right hand side.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The NASA Aircraft Accident Investigation Board determined that the probable cause of the accident was the nearly simultaneous failure of the two front tires on the right main landing gear at a critical time during the takeoff roll. These failures resulted in the pilot's decision to reject the takeoff.
Contributing to the severity of the accident was an intense fire fed by leakage from the puncture of a right-wing fuel tank forward of the right main gear; the puncture occurred during the intentional extended rollout of the aircraft."

Accident investigation: