Air carrier widebody transport suffered tail strike on landing. PIC making landing had been incapaci...

Attributes
ACN	90138
Time
Date	198807
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cur
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 20000
ASRS Report	90138
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight from rio to curacao. Captain had problems flying due to blow on head from a fall. First officer flying until start of descent. Captain took over and appeared to be ok. However, on landing roll, a pitch up of about 10 degrees occurred momentarily and a tail strike ensued. Crew did not know until tower asked if strike had happened. On walk around observed drain mast best and skin next to it scraped. Advised company and alpa. I had seen doctor in rio after the fall and felt ok to fly on the following day. It appears from all medical reports in retrospect I had suffered a concussion. Company took no further action or crew as they were satisfied it was a medical problem unrecognized at the time. As confusion and darkness occurred, after takeoff the decision to continue was made by crew as a landing was necessary in any event and no medical emergency was apparent. Perhaps I should have insisted we return to rio, but at the time didn't think it necessary.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB SUFFERED TAIL STRIKE ON LNDG. PIC MAKING LNDG HAD BEEN INCAPACITATED.

Narrative: FLT FROM RIO TO CURACAO. CAPT HAD PROBS FLYING DUE TO BLOW ON HEAD FROM A FALL. F/O FLYING UNTIL START OF DSCNT. CAPT TOOK OVER AND APPEARED TO BE OK. HOWEVER, ON LNDG ROLL, A PITCH UP OF ABOUT 10 DEGS OCCURRED MOMENTARILY AND A TAIL STRIKE ENSUED. CREW DID NOT KNOW UNTIL TWR ASKED IF STRIKE HAD HAPPENED. ON WALK AROUND OBSERVED DRAIN MAST BEST AND SKIN NEXT TO IT SCRAPED. ADVISED COMPANY AND ALPA. I HAD SEEN DOCTOR IN RIO AFTER THE FALL AND FELT OK TO FLY ON THE FOLLOWING DAY. IT APPEARS FROM ALL MEDICAL RPTS IN RETROSPECT I HAD SUFFERED A CONCUSSION. COMPANY TOOK NO FURTHER ACTION OR CREW AS THEY WERE SATISFIED IT WAS A MEDICAL PROB UNRECOGNIZED AT THE TIME. AS CONFUSION AND DARKNESS OCCURRED, AFTER TKOF THE DECISION TO CONTINUE WAS MADE BY CREW AS A LNDG WAS NECESSARY IN ANY EVENT AND NO MEDICAL EMER WAS APPARENT. PERHAPS I SHOULD HAVE INSISTED WE RETURN TO RIO, BUT AT THE TIME DIDN'T THINK IT NECESSARY.

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.

Air carrier widebody transport suffered tail strike on landing. PIC making landing had been incapacitated.