Narrative:

Air carrier X flight abcd atl-hdn. Captain's takeoff on runway 26L. Winds were reported from 320 degrees at 12 KTS gusting to 21 KTS. I called out V1/vr and then noticed a brief stagnation in airspeed and that the plane was rotating faster than normal. I then felt a bump in the rear of the aircraft just before lift-off. It was a feeling I had never experienced before. At a safe altitude; I mentioned to the captain about a possible tail strike. He said he was almost certain there was no tail strike. He thought we felt the undercarriage adjusting because of the gusty xwinds. Shortly thereafter a flight attendant called us from the rear of the aircraft to report she felt a bump on takeoff just before lift-off. The captain explained to her his theory of the undercarriage. We discussed further in the cockpit our opinions in which I thought it was a possible tail strike; and he did not. The captain then called back to the 2 flight attendants in the rear of the aircraft on takeoff to get more information. This time both stated that they heard a sound like the scraping of metal. It was then decided to treat this as a tail strike and land at the nearest suitable airport as per our procedures. We landed without incident. Upon inspection by maintenance; it was confirmed that we did in fact strike the tail. The tail skid impact cartridge was still intact; but the tail skid shoe was slightly worn. After a full inner inspection of the tail; no damage was found and the aircraft was returned to service. I believe that too quick of a rotation after vr in gusty conditions caused the tail strike. It is my recommendation that in gusty conditions extra vigilance be taken to ensure a normal rotation rate during takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-800 TAKING OFF IN A GUSTY CROSSWIND EXPERIENCED A TAIL STRIKE UPON ROTATION. FLT CREW DIVERTS TO NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.

Narrative: ACR X FLT ABCD ATL-HDN. CAPT'S TKOF ON RWY 26L. WINDS WERE RPTED FROM 320 DEGS AT 12 KTS GUSTING TO 21 KTS. I CALLED OUT V1/VR AND THEN NOTICED A BRIEF STAGNATION IN AIRSPD AND THAT THE PLANE WAS ROTATING FASTER THAN NORMAL. I THEN FELT A BUMP IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT JUST BEFORE LIFT-OFF. IT WAS A FEELING I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE. AT A SAFE ALT; I MENTIONED TO THE CAPT ABOUT A POSSIBLE TAIL STRIKE. HE SAID HE WAS ALMOST CERTAIN THERE WAS NO TAIL STRIKE. HE THOUGHT WE FELT THE UNDERCARRIAGE ADJUSTING BECAUSE OF THE GUSTY XWINDS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER A FLT ATTENDANT CALLED US FROM THE REAR OF THE ACFT TO RPT SHE FELT A BUMP ON TKOF JUST BEFORE LIFT-OFF. THE CAPT EXPLAINED TO HER HIS THEORY OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE. WE DISCUSSED FURTHER IN THE COCKPIT OUR OPINIONS IN WHICH I THOUGHT IT WAS A POSSIBLE TAIL STRIKE; AND HE DID NOT. THE CAPT THEN CALLED BACK TO THE 2 FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT ON TKOF TO GET MORE INFO. THIS TIME BOTH STATED THAT THEY HEARD A SOUND LIKE THE SCRAPING OF METAL. IT WAS THEN DECIDED TO TREAT THIS AS A TAIL STRIKE AND LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT AS PER OUR PROCS. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON INSPECTION BY MAINT; IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT WE DID IN FACT STRIKE THE TAIL. THE TAIL SKID IMPACT CARTRIDGE WAS STILL INTACT; BUT THE TAIL SKID SHOE WAS SLIGHTLY WORN. AFTER A FULL INNER INSPECTION OF THE TAIL; NO DAMAGE WAS FOUND AND THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC. I BELIEVE THAT TOO QUICK OF A ROTATION AFTER VR IN GUSTY CONDITIONS CAUSED THE TAIL STRIKE. IT IS MY RECOMMENDATION THAT IN GUSTY CONDITIONS EXTRA VIGILANCE BE TAKEN TO ENSURE A NORMAL ROTATION RATE DURING TKOF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.