Narrative:

On takeoff from cvg, after gear retraction, the so noticed the tailskid light illuminated. When climbing safely away from the airport, so reviewed the procedures for an illuminated tailskid light after gear retraction. The first step of the procedure is to determine if the tailskid was struck during takeoff rotation. At this point, the flight attendants were called and asked if they heard any loud noises or felt anything during the takeoff, they replied, 'no.' the checklist was then continued, but we were unable to get the light to extinguish. Since we, the flight crew, felt no vibration during the takeoff rotation, nor heard any strange noises, and the flight attendants concurred, we assumed there was no tailstrike. Approximately 2 hours into the flight, a flight attendant from the rear of the aircraft came to the cockpit to see if we needed anything. During conversation, she asked what the loud noise was during takeoff. Apparently, when we spoke with the flight attendants, the one we were speaking to was sitting in first class. The 2 flight attendants in the back of the aircraft assumed that the one in the front had notified the pilots of the loud noise during takeoff. Consequently, the 2 flight attendants in the rear of the aircraft did not notify anyone until later on in the flight. At this point the pilots contacted maintenance and advised them of the situation. Upon landing in sfo, the tailstrike was visually confirmed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC STRUCK THE TAILSKID DURING ROTATION AND GOT THE TAILSKID LIGHT DURING THE INITIAL CLBOUT. DUE TO INCOMPLETE INFO FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS THE FLC CONTINUED THE FLT.

Narrative: ON TKOF FROM CVG, AFTER GEAR RETRACTION, THE SO NOTICED THE TAILSKID LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WHEN CLBING SAFELY AWAY FROM THE ARPT, SO REVIEWED THE PROCS FOR AN ILLUMINATED TAILSKID LIGHT AFTER GEAR RETRACTION. THE FIRST STEP OF THE PROC IS TO DETERMINE IF THE TAILSKID WAS STRUCK DURING TKOF ROTATION. AT THIS POINT, THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE CALLED AND ASKED IF THEY HEARD ANY LOUD NOISES OR FELT ANYTHING DURING THE TKOF, THEY REPLIED, 'NO.' THE CHKLIST WAS THEN CONTINUED, BUT WE WERE UNABLE TO GET THE LIGHT TO EXTINGUISH. SINCE WE, THE FLC, FELT NO VIBRATION DURING THE TKOF ROTATION, NOR HEARD ANY STRANGE NOISES, AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS CONCURRED, WE ASSUMED THERE WAS NO TAILSTRIKE. APPROX 2 HRS INTO THE FLT, A FLT ATTENDANT FROM THE REAR OF THE ACFT CAME TO THE COCKPIT TO SEE IF WE NEEDED ANYTHING. DURING CONVERSATION, SHE ASKED WHAT THE LOUD NOISE WAS DURING TKOF. APPARENTLY, WHEN WE SPOKE WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS, THE ONE WE WERE SPEAKING TO WAS SITTING IN FIRST CLASS. THE 2 FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE BACK OF THE ACFT ASSUMED THAT THE ONE IN THE FRONT HAD NOTIFIED THE PLTS OF THE LOUD NOISE DURING TKOF. CONSEQUENTLY, THE 2 FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT DID NOT NOTIFY ANYONE UNTIL LATER ON IN THE FLT. AT THIS POINT THE PLTS CONTACTED MAINT AND ADVISED THEM OF THE SIT. UPON LNDG IN SFO, THE TAILSTRIKE WAS VISUALLY CONFIRMED.

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.