Narrative:

Tailstrike at lax. WX conditions were VFR and winds were near calm. A slight tailwind of 3 KTS. Approach via vectors to runway 25L at lax and backed up by ILS, hand flown with good smooth precision efforts by first officer. ILS was on centerline and G/south, 50 degree flaps were called for selected and verified between 1500' and 1400' MSL, landing checklist was completed. Target speed was set at 136K, vref #131K. Approach was flown at target. Altitude callouts were made. At less than 50' a slow smooth round out and power reduction was started. At time of 10' callout first officer said, 'where is the ground?', to which I replied, 'you're there.' at that moment I noticed a pitch attitude of approximately 10 degrees and put my hand open palm on center of yoke with intent of forward pressure. At that moment automatic spoilers deployed and a slight thud of tail contact was felt. I then noticed pitch attitude coming downward from 12 degrees and knew my reaction was not quick enough or strong enough. Landing rollout was smooth and normal. Tower asked if they possibly observed sparks from landing, to which we replied, 'possibly.' after arriving at the gate a visual check was made and logbook write-up was entered. A follow-up with maintenance the next day confirmed that no structural damage was done (and I thank god for that!). Possible corrective effort: use of +10K over vref for target speed when landing with tailwind, and quicker or more severe reaction on my part. Supplemental information from acn 81376: I sensed a fast rate of closure and at the 50' call began a slow roundout, followed by a flare and slow closing of the throttles at the 30' call. It then seemed to me I was high and floating and I applied more aft pressure on the yoke and commented, 'where's the ground?' T/D was normal and within the T/D zone. Upon spoiler deployment I remember now a slight bump in the controls, although at the time I did not recognize it.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB TAIL STRIKE ON LNDG.

Narrative: TAILSTRIKE AT LAX. WX CONDITIONS WERE VFR AND WINDS WERE NEAR CALM. A SLIGHT TAILWIND OF 3 KTS. APCH VIA VECTORS TO RWY 25L AT LAX AND BACKED UP BY ILS, HAND FLOWN WITH GOOD SMOOTH PRECISION EFFORTS BY F/O. ILS WAS ON CENTERLINE AND G/S, 50 DEG FLAPS WERE CALLED FOR SELECTED AND VERIFIED BTWN 1500' AND 1400' MSL, LNDG CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED. TARGET SPD WAS SET AT 136K, VREF #131K. APCH WAS FLOWN AT TARGET. ALT CALLOUTS WERE MADE. AT LESS THAN 50' A SLOW SMOOTH ROUND OUT AND PWR REDUCTION WAS STARTED. AT TIME OF 10' CALLOUT F/O SAID, 'WHERE IS THE GND?', TO WHICH I REPLIED, 'YOU'RE THERE.' AT THAT MOMENT I NOTICED A PITCH ATTITUDE OF APPROX 10 DEGS AND PUT MY HAND OPEN PALM ON CENTER OF YOKE WITH INTENT OF FORWARD PRESSURE. AT THAT MOMENT AUTO SPOILERS DEPLOYED AND A SLIGHT THUD OF TAIL CONTACT WAS FELT. I THEN NOTICED PITCH ATTITUDE COMING DOWNWARD FROM 12 DEGS AND KNEW MY REACTION WAS NOT QUICK ENOUGH OR STRONG ENOUGH. LNDG ROLLOUT WAS SMOOTH AND NORMAL. TWR ASKED IF THEY POSSIBLY OBSERVED SPARKS FROM LNDG, TO WHICH WE REPLIED, 'POSSIBLY.' AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE A VISUAL CHK WAS MADE AND LOGBOOK WRITE-UP WAS ENTERED. A FOLLOW-UP WITH MAINT THE NEXT DAY CONFIRMED THAT NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS DONE (AND I THANK GOD FOR THAT!). POSSIBLE CORRECTIVE EFFORT: USE OF +10K OVER VREF FOR TARGET SPD WHEN LNDG WITH TAILWIND, AND QUICKER OR MORE SEVERE REACTION ON MY PART. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 81376: I SENSED A FAST RATE OF CLOSURE AND AT THE 50' CALL BEGAN A SLOW ROUNDOUT, FOLLOWED BY A FLARE AND SLOW CLOSING OF THE THROTTLES AT THE 30' CALL. IT THEN SEEMED TO ME I WAS HIGH AND FLOATING AND I APPLIED MORE AFT PRESSURE ON THE YOKE AND COMMENTED, 'WHERE'S THE GND?' T/D WAS NORMAL AND WITHIN THE T/D ZONE. UPON SPOILER DEPLOYMENT I REMEMBER NOW A SLIGHT BUMP IN THE CTLS, ALTHOUGH AT THE TIME I DID NOT RECOGNIZE IT.

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