Narrative:

Our flight was on vectors from an lda approach to runway 18 at dca airport. During the final portion of our descent we were in a tailwind condition and faster than normal airspds were assigned by ATC. Therefore, after clearance for the approach was given, I found myself a little higher than an ideal profile would be. I configured the aircraft with gear, flaps and speed brakes to get a greater descent rate. When we broke out at 3000 ft AGL, I saw the runway, the runway environment and another aircraft was on final. Due to the proximity of the other aircraft I was forced to make a clearing turn (s-turn) to give him time to clear the runway. This approach is offset and requires a turn to line up on final. We were fully configured and felt stabilized so after turning to final the aircraft was landed in the first 1000 ft with a slightly firm touchdown. Neither we nor, it turned out after questioning, the flight attendants felt anything abnormal about the landing. After clearing the runway, the tower asked us to call them on the telephone. Another aircraft had reported seeing sparks from the rear of our aircraft. Although the large transport is susceptible to tail strikes, we were very surprised to find a slight scrape of approximately 8 inches by 2 1/2 ft on the tail of our aircraft. Analysis of the flight data recorder by our company indicated that the speed brakes, which were used to increase our descent rate, had not been stowed prior to landing. In the high workload environment of this approach, neither the captain nor myself had noticed this situation, resulting in a higher than normal pitch attitude on landing, and the slight tail scrape. The aircraft had no internal damage, but was removed from service for 1 day for testing and to replace the scraped skin.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT HAS TAIL STRIKE ON LNDG BUT UNAWARE.

Narrative: OUR FLT WAS ON VECTORS FROM AN LDA APCH TO RWY 18 AT DCA ARPT. DURING THE FINAL PORTION OF OUR DSCNT WE WERE IN A TAILWIND CONDITION AND FASTER THAN NORMAL AIRSPDS WERE ASSIGNED BY ATC. THEREFORE, AFTER CLRNC FOR THE APCH WAS GIVEN, I FOUND MYSELF A LITTLE HIGHER THAN AN IDEAL PROFILE WOULD BE. I CONFIGURED THE ACFT WITH GEAR, FLAPS AND SPD BRAKES TO GET A GREATER DSCNT RATE. WHEN WE BROKE OUT AT 3000 FT AGL, I SAW THE RWY, THE RWY ENVIRONMENT AND ANOTHER ACFT WAS ON FINAL. DUE TO THE PROX OF THE OTHER ACFT I WAS FORCED TO MAKE A CLRING TURN (S-TURN) TO GIVE HIM TIME TO CLR THE RWY. THIS APCH IS OFFSET AND REQUIRES A TURN TO LINE UP ON FINAL. WE WERE FULLY CONFIGURED AND FELT STABILIZED SO AFTER TURNING TO FINAL THE ACFT WAS LANDED IN THE FIRST 1000 FT WITH A SLIGHTLY FIRM TOUCHDOWN. NEITHER WE NOR, IT TURNED OUT AFTER QUESTIONING, THE FLT ATTENDANTS FELT ANYTHING ABNORMAL ABOUT THE LNDG. AFTER CLRING THE RWY, THE TWR ASKED US TO CALL THEM ON THE TELEPHONE. ANOTHER ACFT HAD RPTED SEEING SPARKS FROM THE REAR OF OUR ACFT. ALTHOUGH THE LGT IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO TAIL STRIKES, WE WERE VERY SURPRISED TO FIND A SLIGHT SCRAPE OF APPROX 8 INCHES BY 2 1/2 FT ON THE TAIL OF OUR ACFT. ANALYSIS OF THE FLT DATA RECORDER BY OUR COMPANY INDICATED THAT THE SPD BRAKES, WHICH WERE USED TO INCREASE OUR DSCNT RATE, HAD NOT BEEN STOWED PRIOR TO LNDG. IN THE HIGH WORKLOAD ENVIRONMENT OF THIS APCH, NEITHER THE CAPT NOR MYSELF HAD NOTICED THIS SIT, RESULTING IN A HIGHER THAN NORMAL PITCH ATTITUDE ON LNDG, AND THE SLIGHT TAIL SCRAPE. THE ACFT HAD NO INTERNAL DAMAGE, BUT WAS REMOVED FROM SVC FOR 1 DAY FOR TESTING AND TO REPLACE THE SCRAPED SKIN.

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.