B737 tail strike on takeoff from bwi.

Attributes
ACN	578650
Time
Date	200304
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bwi.airport
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	578650
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	578751
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other
Independent Detector	other other : person 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

During the taxi the first officer updated the data for anti-ice on takeoff. The trim and center of gravity were set according to the takeoff data and were in a normal range. It was the first officer's leg. The power was set for a 22K reduced power, flaps 1 degree takeoff. The takeoff roll was normal up to V1. At vr the first officer started to pull back on the yoke and the nose of the aircraft rotated at a faster rate than normal. It felt as if the aircraft was out of trim or tail heavy. He stopped the rotation at an attitude that was a little higher than normal. The aircraft then departed the runway. We felt no vibrations or had any indications of a tail strike. We continued on with a normal climb profile. At 14000 ft the flight attendant in the rear called and said that she and the other flight attendants had heard a scraping noise on rotation prior to liftoff. I talked to both flight attendants and decided that we should divert to rdu to check the aircraft for a tail strike. Once on the ground, I inspected the tail with maintenance and we found that the pad on the bottom on the tail skid was missing. The skid had also been pushed up about 1 inch but was still showing the green band. There were no scrape marks or other damage. The first officer said he did not remember if the pad was there on the walkaround or if the skid had been pushed up. The aircraft was taken OTS for inspection.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 TAIL STRIKE ON TKOF FROM BWI.

Narrative: DURING THE TAXI THE FO UPDATED THE DATA FOR ANTI-ICE ON TKOF. THE TRIM AND CTR OF GRAVITY WERE SET ACCORDING TO THE TKOF DATA AND WERE IN A NORMAL RANGE. IT WAS THE FO'S LEG. THE PWR WAS SET FOR A 22K REDUCED PWR, FLAPS 1 DEG TKOF. THE TKOF ROLL WAS NORMAL UP TO V1. AT VR THE FO STARTED TO PULL BACK ON THE YOKE AND THE NOSE OF THE ACFT ROTATED AT A FASTER RATE THAN NORMAL. IT FELT AS IF THE ACFT WAS OUT OF TRIM OR TAIL HVY. HE STOPPED THE ROTATION AT AN ATTITUDE THAT WAS A LITTLE HIGHER THAN NORMAL. THE ACFT THEN DEPARTED THE RWY. WE FELT NO VIBRATIONS OR HAD ANY INDICATIONS OF A TAIL STRIKE. WE CONTINUED ON WITH A NORMAL CLB PROFILE. AT 14000 FT THE FLT ATTENDANT IN THE REAR CALLED AND SAID THAT SHE AND THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS HAD HEARD A SCRAPING NOISE ON ROTATION PRIOR TO LIFTOFF. I TALKED TO BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS AND DECIDED THAT WE SHOULD DIVERT TO RDU TO CHK THE ACFT FOR A TAIL STRIKE. ONCE ON THE GND, I INSPECTED THE TAIL WITH MAINT AND WE FOUND THAT THE PAD ON THE BOTTOM ON THE TAIL SKID WAS MISSING. THE SKID HAD ALSO BEEN PUSHED UP ABOUT 1 INCH BUT WAS STILL SHOWING THE GREEN BAND. THERE WERE NO SCRAPE MARKS OR OTHER DAMAGE. THE FO SAID HE DID NOT REMEMBER IF THE PAD WAS THERE ON THE WALKAROUND OR IF THE SKID HAD BEEN PUSHED UP. THE ACFT WAS TAKEN OTS FOR INSPECTION.

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.