Tail strike on landing.

Attributes
ACN	270788
Time
Date	199405
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bna
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bna artcc : zla
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-82
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 3200
ASRS Report	270788
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 10300 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	271038
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Following an uneventful visual approach in VMC to nashville airport, runway 2R, the aircraft touched down hard at a higher than normal pitch attitude, striking the tail on the runway causing sufficient damage to remove the aircraft from service until repairs could be made. Review of flight data recorder indicated airspeed, sink rate, glide path were all nominal. While pulling back on control column to flare for touchdown at about 20 ft AGL, I experienced loss of elevator authority/authorized. Further aft movement resulted in a high pitch attitude followed immediately by a hard touchdown and tail strike. Rollout, deceleration and taxi were normal. No other system malfunctions occurred, no passenger complaints of injury were reported. Supplemental information from acn 271038: as the captain began the flare to break the sink, the airplane attitude rotated to what appeared to be a higher than normal nose- up attitude, and touched down with what I thought to be a hard landing. A flight called that he thought that we had 'gotten the tail.' maintenance personnel informed the captain that the tail of the airplane had made contact with the runway. After the airplane was parked at the gate, I checked the stabilizer trim indicator, and it was showing 8.5 units nose up.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAIL STRIKE ON LNDG.

Narrative: FOLLOWING AN UNEVENTFUL VISUAL APCH IN VMC TO NASHVILLE ARPT, RWY 2R, THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN HARD AT A HIGHER THAN NORMAL PITCH ATTITUDE, STRIKING THE TAIL ON THE RWY CAUSING SUFFICIENT DAMAGE TO REMOVE THE ACFT FROM SVC UNTIL REPAIRS COULD BE MADE. REVIEW OF FLT DATA RECORDER INDICATED AIRSPD, SINK RATE, GLIDE PATH WERE ALL NOMINAL. WHILE PULLING BACK ON CTL COLUMN TO FLARE FOR TOUCHDOWN AT ABOUT 20 FT AGL, I EXPERIENCED LOSS OF ELEVATOR AUTH. FURTHER AFT MOVEMENT RESULTED IN A HIGH PITCH ATTITUDE FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY A HARD TOUCHDOWN AND TAIL STRIKE. ROLLOUT, DECELERATION AND TAXI WERE NORMAL. NO OTHER SYS MALFUNCTIONS OCCURRED, NO PAX COMPLAINTS OF INJURY WERE RPTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 271038: AS THE CAPT BEGAN THE FLARE TO BREAK THE SINK, THE AIRPLANE ATTITUDE ROTATED TO WHAT APPEARED TO BE A HIGHER THAN NORMAL NOSE- UP ATTITUDE, AND TOUCHED DOWN WITH WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE A HARD LNDG. A FLT CALLED THAT HE THOUGHT THAT WE HAD 'GOTTEN THE TAIL.' MAINT PERSONNEL INFORMED THE CAPT THAT THE TAIL OF THE AIRPLANE HAD MADE CONTACT WITH THE RWY. AFTER THE AIRPLANE WAS PARKED AT THE GATE, I CHKED THE STABILIZER TRIM INDICATOR, AND IT WAS SHOWING 8.5 UNITS NOSE UP.

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.