A B767-300 made a hard landing with a tail strike after a normal approach. Aircraft cargo was loaded...

Attributes
ACN	802614
Time
Date	200809
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzzz.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cyyz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	802614
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 13500 flight time type : 550
ASRS Report	802616
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

We were flying a nighttime visual approach. The WX was cavok and the approach was stable at 1000 ft and 500 ft. At approximately 400 ft; airspeed decreased 3-4 KTS and the first officer added power to correct. We crossed the runway threshold and neither the PF nor monitoring sensed an unusual descent rate. Radio altimeter calls seemed normal. The aircraft landed hard in the touchdown zone and bounced. I assisted the first officer with the flight controls; and added thrust. I was attempting to soften the second landing without increasing pitch. The second touchdown seemed normal. Nothing unusual was noted on rollout or taxi in. After block in; a hard landing report was entered into the logbook. Postflt inspection revealed that the tailskid had been struck on landing. In reviewing the approach with the first officer; we felt that we flew the appropriate airspds and flap confign. It's difficult to determine exactly what happened because the approach seemed normal until impact. I have considered the possibility of incorrect flap or airspeed settings but we can't be sure until the DFDR information is reviewed. We were loaded with an aft center of gravity and that might also be a contributing factor to the tail strike.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 MADE A HARD LNDG WITH A TAIL STRIKE AFTER A NORMAL APCH. ACFT CARGO WAS LOADED TAIL HEAVY.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING A NIGHTTIME VISUAL APCH. THE WX WAS CAVOK AND THE APCH WAS STABLE AT 1000 FT AND 500 FT. AT APPROX 400 FT; AIRSPD DECREASED 3-4 KTS AND THE FO ADDED PWR TO CORRECT. WE CROSSED THE RWY THRESHOLD AND NEITHER THE PF NOR MONITORING SENSED AN UNUSUAL DSCNT RATE. RADIO ALTIMETER CALLS SEEMED NORMAL. THE ACFT LANDED HARD IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE AND BOUNCED. I ASSISTED THE FO WITH THE FLT CTLS; AND ADDED THRUST. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO SOFTEN THE SECOND LNDG WITHOUT INCREASING PITCH. THE SECOND TOUCHDOWN SEEMED NORMAL. NOTHING UNUSUAL WAS NOTED ON ROLLOUT OR TAXI IN. AFTER BLOCK IN; A HARD LNDG RPT WAS ENTERED INTO THE LOGBOOK. POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE TAILSKID HAD BEEN STRUCK ON LNDG. IN REVIEWING THE APCH WITH THE FO; WE FELT THAT WE FLEW THE APPROPRIATE AIRSPDS AND FLAP CONFIGN. IT'S DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE THE APCH SEEMED NORMAL UNTIL IMPACT. I HAVE CONSIDERED THE POSSIBILITY OF INCORRECT FLAP OR AIRSPD SETTINGS BUT WE CAN'T BE SURE UNTIL THE DFDR INFO IS REVIEWED. WE WERE LOADED WITH AN AFT CTR OF GRAVITY AND THAT MIGHT ALSO BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE TAIL STRIKE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

A B767-300 made a hard landing with a tail strike after a normal approach. Aircraft cargo was loaded tail heavy.