Nov. 11--A blown tire forced a Lear jet pilot to abort takeoff this morning and skid into the grass at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport.
No one was hurt in the 8:45 a.m. incident. Joe McBride, airport spokesman, said the pilot was at liftoff speed when the tire blew out. The jet veered to the right and skidded off the runway. The pilot and co-pilot, the only occupants of the jet, were not hurt, McBride said. The jet did not sustain any significant damage, he said.
The incident prompted officials to close the airport briefly. The runway where the incident occurred was shut down for several hours so workers could clean the runway and pick up tire debris.
