Narrative:

At the time of arrival, the winds at bemidji were reported to 200 degrees at 5 KTS. I made the decision to land on runway 31, since the winds were minimal, it was the longest runway and the approach had the benefit of a G/south. I conducted the approach, as the PF, on profile and on speed. As the aircraft approached the threshold, we felt that the wind was stronger than reported, but not excessive. We continued the approach, monitoring the windsock and added an airspeed buffer as a safety margin. We crossed the threshold at vref + 10 KTS. I called for the first officer to assist on the control wheel. I did this so that I would have help with control forces and be sure that when I made the transition to the tiller, the ailerons would be held into the wind. The aircraft was flared and shortly thereafter the feeling was that the airflow had been abruptly removed from the airfoil as the result of a substantial change in wind direction or velocity. The aircraft was forced downward. When the runway surface was contacted the tail skid struck, causing damage to the skid and the surrounding fuselage skin. I checked the wind meter on the ground. The velocity indication varied between 7 and 11 KTS, the direction from 196 to 227 degrees. The winds shortly afterward increased in velocity and the indication varied from 11 to 22 KTS. As I stood, the could feel the wind increase in velocity and then suddenly calm. In my view, when we crossed the threshold and flared, the wind (influenced by the encompassing mature pine tree line) abruptly changed into a downwash. This forced the aircraft to the runway surface. The wind meter and windsock, being blocked from the west by the tree line, could not indicate the actual conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER MDT TAIL STRIKE ON LNDG AT BJI.

Narrative: AT THE TIME OF ARR, THE WINDS AT BEMIDJI WERE RPTED TO 200 DEGS AT 5 KTS. I MADE THE DECISION TO LAND ON RWY 31, SINCE THE WINDS WERE MINIMAL, IT WAS THE LONGEST RWY AND THE APCH HAD THE BENEFIT OF A G/S. I CONDUCTED THE APCH, AS THE PF, ON PROFILE AND ON SPD. AS THE ACFT APCHED THE THRESHOLD, WE FELT THAT THE WIND WAS STRONGER THAN RPTED, BUT NOT EXCESSIVE. WE CONTINUED THE APCH, MONITORING THE WINDSOCK AND ADDED AN AIRSPD BUFFER AS A SAFETY MARGIN. WE CROSSED THE THRESHOLD AT VREF + 10 KTS. I CALLED FOR THE F/O TO ASSIST ON THE CONTROL WHEEL. I DID THIS SO THAT I WOULD HAVE HELP WITH CONTROL FORCES AND BE SURE THAT WHEN I MADE THE TRANSITION TO THE TILLER, THE AILERONS WOULD BE HELD INTO THE WIND. THE ACFT WAS FLARED AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE FEELING WAS THAT THE AIRFLOW HAD BEEN ABRUPTLY REMOVED FROM THE AIRFOIL AS THE RESULT OF A SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE IN WIND DIRECTION OR VELOCITY. THE ACFT WAS FORCED DOWNWARD. WHEN THE RWY SURFACE WAS CONTACTED THE TAIL SKID STRUCK, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE SKID AND THE SURROUNDING FUSELAGE SKIN. I CHKED THE WIND METER ON THE GND. THE VELOCITY INDICATION VARIED BTWN 7 AND 11 KTS, THE DIRECTION FROM 196 TO 227 DEGS. THE WINDS SHORTLY AFTERWARD INCREASED IN VELOCITY AND THE INDICATION VARIED FROM 11 TO 22 KTS. AS I STOOD, THE COULD FEEL THE WIND INCREASE IN VELOCITY AND THEN SUDDENLY CALM. IN MY VIEW, WHEN WE CROSSED THE THRESHOLD AND FLARED, THE WIND (INFLUENCED BY THE ENCOMPASSING MATURE PINE TREE LINE) ABRUPTLY CHANGED INTO A DOWNWASH. THIS FORCED THE ACFT TO THE RWY SURFACE. THE WIND METER AND WINDSOCK, BEING BLOCKED FROM THE W BY THE TREE LINE, COULD NOT INDICATE THE ACTUAL CONDITIONS.

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.