Narrative:

On takeoff from sna, we felt a 'thump' during rotation. We suspected a possible tail strike -- a suspicion further strengthened when the flight attendants called and said it felt like we went over a speed bump. We continued the departure and 'went to the book' after getting turned over the ZLA. The captain, who made the takeoff and had been flying, turned the controls and center over to me while he gathered information and read the abnormal checklist. We told center we wished to start a descent (about 20000 ft) for the purpose of pressurization. Eventually we got down to 8000 ft and opened the outflow valve per the checklist. The captain was working with dispatch, lax operations and maintenance control to determine the best course of action. There were no adverse indications in the aircraft other than the initial thump. After considering fuel, we elected to land at oakland, our original destination. A very gradual descent was made out of 8000 ft to try not to exceed 500 FPM. An uneventful landing was made in oak. Maintenance inspected the aircraft and found the tailskid was not compressed and the shoe was scraped but with limits. They signed off the aircraft and we proceeded with our next flight. Supplemental information from acn 312117: I have been flying the B737-400 for about a yr and a half, during which time I have made numerous sna noise abatement departures. I had made 5 sna noise departures during the previous month. This rotation did not feel any different than all the rest I have made, and I am still unsure of why I had a tail strike.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OVER ROTATION CAUSES A TAIL STRIKE.

Narrative: ON TKOF FROM SNA, WE FELT A 'THUMP' DURING ROTATION. WE SUSPECTED A POSSIBLE TAIL STRIKE -- A SUSPICION FURTHER STRENGTHENED WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED AND SAID IT FELT LIKE WE WENT OVER A SPD BUMP. WE CONTINUED THE DEP AND 'WENT TO THE BOOK' AFTER GETTING TURNED OVER THE ZLA. THE CAPT, WHO MADE THE TKOF AND HAD BEEN FLYING, TURNED THE CTLS AND CTR OVER TO ME WHILE HE GATHERED INFO AND READ THE ABNORMAL CHKLIST. WE TOLD CTR WE WISHED TO START A DSCNT (ABOUT 20000 FT) FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRESSURIZATION. EVENTUALLY WE GOT DOWN TO 8000 FT AND OPENED THE OUTFLOW VALVE PER THE CHKLIST. THE CAPT WAS WORKING WITH DISPATCH, LAX OPS AND MAINT CTL TO DETERMINE THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION. THERE WERE NO ADVERSE INDICATIONS IN THE ACFT OTHER THAN THE INITIAL THUMP. AFTER CONSIDERING FUEL, WE ELECTED TO LAND AT OAKLAND, OUR ORIGINAL DEST. A VERY GRADUAL DSCNT WAS MADE OUT OF 8000 FT TO TRY NOT TO EXCEED 500 FPM. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE IN OAK. MAINT INSPECTED THE ACFT AND FOUND THE TAILSKID WAS NOT COMPRESSED AND THE SHOE WAS SCRAPED BUT WITH LIMITS. THEY SIGNED OFF THE ACFT AND WE PROCEEDED WITH OUR NEXT FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 312117: I HAVE BEEN FLYING THE B737-400 FOR ABOUT A YR AND A HALF, DURING WHICH TIME I HAVE MADE NUMEROUS SNA NOISE ABATEMENT DEPS. I HAD MADE 5 SNA NOISE DEPS DURING THE PREVIOUS MONTH. THIS ROTATION DID NOT FEEL ANY DIFFERENT THAN ALL THE REST I HAVE MADE, AND I AM STILL UNSURE OF WHY I HAD A TAIL STRIKE.

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.