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Tail strike on a DC9 during takeoff reported to flight crew by flight attendant and passenger departure mem, tn.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 606943 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200402 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mem.airport |
| State Reference | TN |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Weather Elements | Rain |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : mem.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 606943 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground critical ground encounters other inflight encounter : weather |
| Independent Detector | other other : cab 4 pax 6 |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Passenger Human Performance Aircraft Cabin Crew Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
Narrative:
Aircraft was a DC9 at maximum takeoff weight on a wet runway with light winds and light rain falling at the time. Captain was the PF. Takeoff roll was uneventful and rotation was at a normal rate. Both pilots and the jumpseater in the cockpit felt the takeoff and rotation normal. During climb out, first officer received a call from the aft cabin flight attendant. She told the first officer that herself and several passenger heard a scraping sound and felt vibration. First officer told captain that a tail strike might have occurred and the captain then called maintenance and dispatch to get a plan of action. After discussion with company and the crew, we decided to return to mem and perform a precautionary landing. Emergency was declared as required by company policy and the flight landed uneventfully. Maintenance looked at the tail skid and noticed paint scrapes but no tail skid depression. Aircraft was then signed off without any maintenance performed.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: TAIL STRIKE ON A DC9 DURING TKOF RPTED TO FLT CREW BY FLT ATTENDANT AND PAX DEP MEM, TN.
Narrative: ACFT WAS A DC9 AT MAX TKOF WT ON A WET RWY WITH LIGHT WINDS AND LIGHT RAIN FALLING AT THE TIME. CAPT WAS THE PF. TKOF ROLL WAS UNEVENTFUL AND ROTATION WAS AT A NORMAL RATE. BOTH PLTS AND THE JUMPSEATER IN THE COCKPIT FELT THE TKOF AND ROTATION NORMAL. DURING CLBOUT, FO RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE AFT CABIN FLT ATTENDANT. SHE TOLD THE FO THAT HERSELF AND SEVERAL PAX HEARD A SCRAPING SOUND AND FELT VIBRATION. FO TOLD CAPT THAT A TAIL STRIKE MIGHT HAVE OCCURRED AND THE CAPT THEN CALLED MAINT AND DISPATCH TO GET A PLAN OF ACTION. AFTER DISCUSSION WITH COMPANY AND THE CREW, WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO MEM AND PERFORM A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. EMER WAS DECLARED AS REQUIRED BY COMPANY POLICY AND THE FLT LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. MAINT LOOKED AT THE TAIL SKID AND NOTICED PAINT SCRAPES BUT NO TAIL SKID DEPRESSION. ACFT WAS THEN SIGNED OFF WITHOUT ANY MAINT PERFORMED.
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.