Narrative:

Takeoff weight was 104700 pounds. Maximum for runway 12L was 107100 pounds. For this flap/slat confign, slats extended, flaps 5 degrees. Wind was 050 degrees at 12 KTS gusting to 24 KTS (ATIS recorded at XX55Z). Vertical rotation 139 KTS. I began rotation and lifted off by V2 145 KTS. I felt a gust followed by a loss of lift and IAS. I froze the pitch at 13-14 degrees until the IAS began to increase, then continued rotation to 19 degrees and climbed out. Tower reported to us that sparks were observed from our tail on liftoff, and then handed us off to departure control. At no time did the first officer and I feel any contact with the runway. The flight attendant in aft jump seat confirmed a scraping sound, so we began researching the cockpit operations manual for guidance. Finding only the reporting procedures for this occurrence, I called our dispatcher who coordinated with maintenance control. They directed a return to msp due to lack of maintenance at our destination (yyz). Landing was made at msp about 2000 pounds under maximum landing weight. Mechanics observed that the tail skid mechanism was scraped but not tripped, and the company thus classifies this as a tail scrape, not a tail strike. Self analysis: I don't know. I feel that the rotation rate was about 3 degrees per second, which is SOP. If I had continued rotation when the 'sinket' occurred, I felt the danger of striking the tail. The flight data recorder was pulled and will be analyzed and hopefully that will tell the story.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A DC9-30 RETURNED TO LAND TO HAVE THE TAIL SKID INSPECTED BY MAINT DUE TO A SUSPECTED TAIL SKID STRIKE.

Narrative: TKOF WT WAS 104700 LBS. MAX FOR RWY 12L WAS 107100 LBS. FOR THIS FLAP/SLAT CONFIGN, SLATS EXTENDED, FLAPS 5 DEGS. WIND WAS 050 DEGS AT 12 KTS GUSTING TO 24 KTS (ATIS RECORDED AT XX55Z). VERT ROTATION 139 KTS. I BEGAN ROTATION AND LIFTED OFF BY V2 145 KTS. I FELT A GUST FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF LIFT AND IAS. I FROZE THE PITCH AT 13-14 DEGS UNTIL THE IAS BEGAN TO INCREASE, THEN CONTINUED ROTATION TO 19 DEGS AND CLBED OUT. TWR RPTED TO US THAT SPARKS WERE OBSERVED FROM OUR TAIL ON LIFTOFF, AND THEN HANDED US OFF TO DEP CTL. AT NO TIME DID THE FO AND I FEEL ANY CONTACT WITH THE RWY. THE FLT ATTENDANT IN AFT JUMP SEAT CONFIRMED A SCRAPING SOUND, SO WE BEGAN RESEARCHING THE COCKPIT OPS MANUAL FOR GUIDANCE. FINDING ONLY THE RPTING PROCS FOR THIS OCCURRENCE, I CALLED OUR DISPATCHER WHO COORDINATED WITH MAINT CTL. THEY DIRECTED A RETURN TO MSP DUE TO LACK OF MAINT AT OUR DEST (YYZ). LNDG WAS MADE AT MSP ABOUT 2000 LBS UNDER MAX LNDG WT. MECHS OBSERVED THAT THE TAIL SKID MECHANISM WAS SCRAPED BUT NOT TRIPPED, AND THE COMPANY THUS CLASSIFIES THIS AS A TAIL SCRAPE, NOT A TAIL STRIKE. SELF ANALYSIS: I DON'T KNOW. I FEEL THAT THE ROTATION RATE WAS ABOUT 3 DEGS PER SECOND, WHICH IS SOP. IF I HAD CONTINUED ROTATION WHEN THE 'SINKET' OCCURRED, I FELT THE DANGER OF STRIKING THE TAIL. THE FLT DATA RECORDER WAS PULLED AND WILL BE ANALYZED AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL TELL THE STORY.

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.