Narrative:

After the 'V1, rotate' callout and rotation initiated, a 'thump' was heard. 'Positive rate, gear up,' and the gear retracted normally. The noise abatement procedure was accomplished within sna noise criteria. All engine, flight INS and pressurization indications were within normal parameters. The senior csr, called on the interphone to say she felt a thump and asked if everything was ok. Captain indicated that nothing was abnormal at that time and would get back to her. The fourth csr called shortly to say she was scared and didn't want to get up. Captain reassured her that things were indicating normally and that we were proceeding cautiously. Shortly thereafter we were cleared from coast departure to ZLA. A little while later ZLA advised that someone had seen the tail of our aircraft make contact with the runway, followed by sparks and white smoke. We acknowledged the transmission and thanked them. Captain then evaluated the situation; rechked engine, flight and pressurization indications; checked our position; called las company maintenance and elected to continue the flight to las. A normal visibility approach and landing were accomplished uneventfully. Upon post-flight inspection, evidence of contact to the runway of the aft lower portion of the fuselage was noted. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter said that the FAA is pursuing this matter and was reluctant to discuss it. I asked if the noise abatement procedure had anything to do with the route or angle of rotation and he said he would rather talk O this lawyer before answering any questions. The callback was then amicable terminated. Supplemental information from acn 140434: the takeoff roll and rotation was normal for the speed and weight, and continued normally. After liftoff there was a very slight thump, but no abnormal indications or flight characteristics.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG SUFFERED A TAIL STRIKE DURING TKOF.

Narrative: AFTER THE 'V1, ROTATE' CALLOUT AND ROTATION INITIATED, A 'THUMP' WAS HEARD. 'POSITIVE RATE, GEAR UP,' AND THE GEAR RETRACTED NORMALLY. THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROC WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHIN SNA NOISE CRITERIA. ALL ENG, FLT INS AND PRESSURIZATION INDICATIONS WERE WITHIN NORMAL PARAMETERS. THE SENIOR CSR, CALLED ON THE INTERPHONE TO SAY SHE FELT A THUMP AND ASKED IF EVERYTHING WAS OK. CAPT INDICATED THAT NOTHING WAS ABNORMAL AT THAT TIME AND WOULD GET BACK TO HER. THE FOURTH CSR CALLED SHORTLY TO SAY SHE WAS SCARED AND DIDN'T WANT TO GET UP. CAPT REASSURED HER THAT THINGS WERE INDICATING NORMALLY AND THAT WE WERE PROCEEDING CAUTIOUSLY. SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE WERE CLRED FROM COAST DEP TO ZLA. A LITTLE WHILE LATER ZLA ADVISED THAT SOMEONE HAD SEEN THE TAIL OF OUR ACFT MAKE CONTACT WITH THE RWY, FOLLOWED BY SPARKS AND WHITE SMOKE. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE XMISSION AND THANKED THEM. CAPT THEN EVALUATED THE SITUATION; RECHKED ENG, FLT AND PRESSURIZATION INDICATIONS; CHKED OUR POS; CALLED LAS COMPANY MAINT AND ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLT TO LAS. A NORMAL VIS APCH AND LNDG WERE ACCOMPLISHED UNEVENTFULLY. UPON POST-FLT INSPECTION, EVIDENCE OF CONTACT TO THE RWY OF THE AFT LOWER PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE WAS NOTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR SAID THAT THE FAA IS PURSUING THIS MATTER AND WAS RELUCTANT TO DISCUSS IT. I ASKED IF THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROC HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE RTE OR ANGLE OF ROTATION AND HE SAID HE WOULD RATHER TALK O THIS LAWYER BEFORE ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS. THE CALLBACK WAS THEN AMICABLE TERMINATED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 140434: THE TKOF ROLL AND ROTATION WAS NORMAL FOR THE SPD AND WT, AND CONTINUED NORMALLY. AFTER LIFTOFF THERE WAS A VERY SLIGHT THUMP, BUT NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS OR FLT CHARACTERISTICS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.