Narrative:

I had flown as an observer into nfr earlier in the day. On that sortie, we landed on runway 17, but had difficulty with ground maneuvering because the parking ramp at the south end of the runway was unusable and there was minimal clearance between the wingtip and the terrain to the west of the runway. After viewing the obstructions (terrain) on the approach to runway 35, it was decided that runway 35 would be desirable for landing -- if terrain clearance on approach was sufficient. I decided that on the next trip I would make a low approach to runway 35 to verify there was sufficient clearance and available runway. During the low approach I felt that a safe landing could be made, but it would require a steeper than normal approach. I established on final with approximately 700 FPM rate of descent and vprog of 129 KTS. There was a split of 5-8 KTS between the first officer's airspeed indicator and mine, so I split the difference. When I felt comfortable that I had sufficient terrain clearance I increased the glide angle to land within the first 500 ft of the runway. When I flared for landing the aircraft's tailskid contacted the runway. Contributing factors: field length (3800 ft), sloping terrain level runway. Corrective actions: to be determined. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the tail skid was damaged during this occurrence. Operations were temporarily discontinued into the airport until more ground clearance was made in the ground turn around area. Since the approach to the 35 runway was too steep, those approachs have been discontinued all together after resumption of flts into nfr airport. The reporter has received more short field training from the company and been temporarily put back to a first officer's pilot position. The aircraft was a lockheed L383-G (stretched), which would result in the possibility of tail strikes at short field high angle of attack landing attitudes!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN L383 CARGO ACFT STRUCK THE TAIL SKID DURING LNDG TOUCHDOWN.

Narrative: I HAD FLOWN AS AN OBSERVER INTO NFR EARLIER IN THE DAY. ON THAT SORTIE, WE LANDED ON RWY 17, BUT HAD DIFFICULTY WITH GND MANEUVERING BECAUSE THE PARKING RAMP AT THE S END OF THE RWY WAS UNUSABLE AND THERE WAS MINIMAL CLRNC BTWN THE WINGTIP AND THE TERRAIN TO THE W OF THE RWY. AFTER VIEWING THE OBSTRUCTIONS (TERRAIN) ON THE APCH TO RWY 35, IT WAS DECIDED THAT RWY 35 WOULD BE DESIRABLE FOR LNDG -- IF TERRAIN CLRNC ON APCH WAS SUFFICIENT. I DECIDED THAT ON THE NEXT TRIP I WOULD MAKE A LOW APCH TO RWY 35 TO VERIFY THERE WAS SUFFICIENT CLRNC AND AVAILABLE RWY. DURING THE LOW APCH I FELT THAT A SAFE LNDG COULD BE MADE, BUT IT WOULD REQUIRE A STEEPER THAN NORMAL APCH. I ESTABLISHED ON FINAL WITH APPROX 700 FPM RATE OF DSCNT AND VPROG OF 129 KTS. THERE WAS A SPLIT OF 5-8 KTS BTWN THE FO'S AIRSPD INDICATOR AND MINE, SO I SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE. WHEN I FELT COMFORTABLE THAT I HAD SUFFICIENT TERRAIN CLRNC I INCREASED THE GLIDE ANGLE TO LAND WITHIN THE FIRST 500 FT OF THE RWY. WHEN I FLARED FOR LNDG THE ACFT'S TAILSKID CONTACTED THE RWY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: FIELD LENGTH (3800 FT), SLOPING TERRAIN LEVEL RWY. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: TO BE DETERMINED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE TAIL SKID WAS DAMAGED DURING THIS OCCURRENCE. OPS WERE TEMPORARILY DISCONTINUED INTO THE ARPT UNTIL MORE GND CLRNC WAS MADE IN THE GND TURN AROUND AREA. SINCE THE APCH TO THE 35 RWY WAS TOO STEEP, THOSE APCHS HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED ALL TOGETHER AFTER RESUMPTION OF FLTS INTO NFR ARPT. THE RPTR HAS RECEIVED MORE SHORT FIELD TRAINING FROM THE COMPANY AND BEEN TEMPORARILY PUT BACK TO A FO'S PLT POS. THE ACFT WAS A LOCKHEED L383-G (STRETCHED), WHICH WOULD RESULT IN THE POSSIBILITY OF TAIL STRIKES AT SHORT FIELD HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK LNDG ATTITUDES!

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.