Narrative:

During the landing at rap; the PF flared out a little higher than normal. To smooth the landing; a higher than normal pitch was used. I was concerned at the moment of touchdown of a possible tail strike. I did not hear or feel anything unusual and the PF did not hear or feel anything unusual as well. Neither flight attendant reported anything and not 1 passenger made a comment while they were leaving. This helped me determine a tail strike most likely did not occur. On the postflt I noticed there were some scratches on the bumper; but the pin was not popped. I am not sure how hard a bumper has to get hit for the pin to pop; but I felt confident that the scratches were from another flight. I contacted dispatch and then maintenance. Maintenance told me there is a procedure if the pin is popped; but nothing for a scratched bumper. I felt that the bumper was most likely already reported to maintenance and the scratches were accounted for. We were quite certain the scratches did not come from our flight. After talking to maintenance I did not write up the bumper. I later learned that the aircraft was written up by a crew regarding the scratched bumper. That is when I began to think I should have written it up myself after talking to dispatch and maintenance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ900 FLIGHT CREW REPORTS POSSIBLE TAIL STRIKE ON LANDING. TAIL SKID IS SCRATCHED BUT INDICATOR PIN IS NOT POPPED. NO LOG BOOK ENTRY IS MADE.

Narrative: DURING THE LNDG AT RAP; THE PF FLARED OUT A LITTLE HIGHER THAN NORMAL. TO SMOOTH THE LNDG; A HIGHER THAN NORMAL PITCH WAS USED. I WAS CONCERNED AT THE MOMENT OF TOUCHDOWN OF A POSSIBLE TAIL STRIKE. I DID NOT HEAR OR FEEL ANYTHING UNUSUAL AND THE PF DID NOT HEAR OR FEEL ANYTHING UNUSUAL AS WELL. NEITHER FLT ATTENDANT RPTED ANYTHING AND NOT 1 PAX MADE A COMMENT WHILE THEY WERE LEAVING. THIS HELPED ME DETERMINE A TAIL STRIKE MOST LIKELY DID NOT OCCUR. ON THE POSTFLT I NOTICED THERE WERE SOME SCRATCHES ON THE BUMPER; BUT THE PIN WAS NOT POPPED. I AM NOT SURE HOW HARD A BUMPER HAS TO GET HIT FOR THE PIN TO POP; BUT I FELT CONFIDENT THAT THE SCRATCHES WERE FROM ANOTHER FLT. I CONTACTED DISPATCH AND THEN MAINT. MAINT TOLD ME THERE IS A PROC IF THE PIN IS POPPED; BUT NOTHING FOR A SCRATCHED BUMPER. I FELT THAT THE BUMPER WAS MOST LIKELY ALREADY RPTED TO MAINT AND THE SCRATCHES WERE ACCOUNTED FOR. WE WERE QUITE CERTAIN THE SCRATCHES DID NOT COME FROM OUR FLT. AFTER TALKING TO MAINT I DID NOT WRITE UP THE BUMPER. I LATER LEARNED THAT THE ACFT WAS WRITTEN UP BY A CREW REGARDING THE SCRATCHED BUMPER. THAT IS WHEN I BEGAN TO THINK I SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN IT UP MYSELF AFTER TALKING TO DISPATCH AND MAINT.

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.