Narrative:

We were en route from dfw to sna. We had contacted our dispatcher due to a possible late arrival, and got permission to land after PM45. We were aware of the fact and a little apprehensive concerning going into sna, as neither of us had been in there before. It was a highly noise sensitive area, and only had a 5700' runway. The captain had never flown the large transport before and I only had 29 hours in it, although we've both flown the other similar type for a while. When we were switched to approach control, we were given vectors for an lda 19R approach, due to the ILS 19R being OTS. This approach was not in the FMC data base, and in trying to build the approach while on vectors, we did not initially realize the controller had gotten us in close--about 1000' high over the IAF, and crossed us over the localizer course with a turn to intercept it from the other side. We were cleared to intercept at or above 2600'--approximately 2 mi from tusti. The approach plate called for 1600' at tusti. We were configured at flaps 5 degrees and 180 KTS. The autoplt was immediately disconnected and descent initiated. Although starting out high at tusti (5.2 DME from runway), I felt we were within the parameters to continue the approach. Flaps were immediately selected to 20 degrees, the gear lowered and then flaps 25 and 30 degrees, as speed permitted. The speed brake was also used to reestablish the aircraft in the slot. We were established at approximately 600-700', with the automatic throttles still on and approximately 15 KTS fast. It was an extremely busy time for both pilots, trying to get the aircraft configured and set up for landing going into an unfamiliar airport with only a 5700' runway at night. Our T/D was firm, but not what either of us felt was to be considered a hard landing (no bounce). We were informed the next morning that the aircraft had experienced a tail strike. Although concerned for the noise sensitive area and the possible airport closure, the only thing we could have done differently or would have done differently is request new vectors for something other than a high, close in approach. Supplemental information from acn 131771: copilot was flying the leg as he had experience in the aircraft (29 hours). This was my first leg in an large transport type and it was the first time into sna for both of us. At final approach fix we were high, but coming down rapidly. At this point we had the runway in sight. We continued rapid descent and between 1000' and 200' we had a GPWS warning. We corrected flight path, and at approximately 600' we ere on VASI in the slot, but approximately 15 KTS fast. I asked if PF wanted speed brake off. He said yes. I pushed forward, but then due to speed and concern for short runway (5700'), the copilot requested it be left on. Attitude and airspeed looked good to me, so we continued. I intended to arm speed brake for landing, but at this time am not sure where it was on landing. It could have been deployed position and not in armed position. T/D was at 1000' mark, very close to on speed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAIL STRIKE ON LNDG.

Narrative: WE WERE ENRTE FROM DFW TO SNA. WE HAD CONTACTED OUR DISPATCHER DUE TO A POSSIBLE LATE ARR, AND GOT PERMISSION TO LAND AFTER PM45. WE WERE AWARE OF THE FACT AND A LITTLE APPREHENSIVE CONCERNING GOING INTO SNA, AS NEITHER OF US HAD BEEN IN THERE BEFORE. IT WAS A HIGHLY NOISE SENSITIVE AREA, AND ONLY HAD A 5700' RWY. THE CAPT HAD NEVER FLOWN THE LGT BEFORE AND I ONLY HAD 29 HRS IN IT, ALTHOUGH WE'VE BOTH FLOWN THE OTHER SIMILAR TYPE FOR A WHILE. WHEN WE WERE SWITCHED TO APCH CTL, WE WERE GIVEN VECTORS FOR AN LDA 19R APCH, DUE TO THE ILS 19R BEING OTS. THIS APCH WAS NOT IN THE FMC DATA BASE, AND IN TRYING TO BUILD THE APCH WHILE ON VECTORS, WE DID NOT INITIALLY REALIZE THE CTLR HAD GOTTEN US IN CLOSE--ABOUT 1000' HIGH OVER THE IAF, AND CROSSED US OVER THE LOC COURSE WITH A TURN TO INTERCEPT IT FROM THE OTHER SIDE. WE WERE CLRED TO INTERCEPT AT OR ABOVE 2600'--APPROX 2 MI FROM TUSTI. THE APCH PLATE CALLED FOR 1600' AT TUSTI. WE WERE CONFIGURED AT FLAPS 5 DEGS AND 180 KTS. THE AUTOPLT WAS IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED AND DSCNT INITIATED. ALTHOUGH STARTING OUT HIGH AT TUSTI (5.2 DME FROM RWY), I FELT WE WERE WITHIN THE PARAMETERS TO CONTINUE THE APCH. FLAPS WERE IMMEDIATELY SELECTED TO 20 DEGS, THE GEAR LOWERED AND THEN FLAPS 25 AND 30 DEGS, AS SPD PERMITTED. THE SPD BRAKE WAS ALSO USED TO REESTABLISH THE ACFT IN THE SLOT. WE WERE ESTABLISHED AT APPROX 600-700', WITH THE AUTO THROTTLES STILL ON AND APPROX 15 KTS FAST. IT WAS AN EXTREMELY BUSY TIME FOR BOTH PLTS, TRYING TO GET THE ACFT CONFIGURED AND SET UP FOR LNDG GOING INTO AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT WITH ONLY A 5700' RWY AT NIGHT. OUR T/D WAS FIRM, BUT NOT WHAT EITHER OF US FELT WAS TO BE CONSIDERED A HARD LNDG (NO BOUNCE). WE WERE INFORMED THE NEXT MORNING THAT THE ACFT HAD EXPERIENCED A TAIL STRIKE. ALTHOUGH CONCERNED FOR THE NOISE SENSITIVE AREA AND THE POSSIBLE ARPT CLOSURE, THE ONLY THING WE COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY OR WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY IS REQUEST NEW VECTORS FOR SOMETHING OTHER THAN A HIGH, CLOSE IN APCH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 131771: COPLT WAS FLYING THE LEG AS HE HAD EXPERIENCE IN THE ACFT (29 HRS). THIS WAS MY FIRST LEG IN AN LGT TYPE AND IT WAS THE FIRST TIME INTO SNA FOR BOTH OF US. AT FINAL APCH FIX WE WERE HIGH, BUT COMING DOWN RAPIDLY. AT THIS POINT WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT. WE CONTINUED RAPID DSCNT AND BTWN 1000' AND 200' WE HAD A GPWS WARNING. WE CORRECTED FLT PATH, AND AT APPROX 600' WE ERE ON VASI IN THE SLOT, BUT APPROX 15 KTS FAST. I ASKED IF PF WANTED SPD BRAKE OFF. HE SAID YES. I PUSHED FORWARD, BUT THEN DUE TO SPD AND CONCERN FOR SHORT RWY (5700'), THE COPLT REQUESTED IT BE LEFT ON. ATTITUDE AND AIRSPD LOOKED GOOD TO ME, SO WE CONTINUED. I INTENDED TO ARM SPD BRAKE FOR LNDG, BUT AT THIS TIME AM NOT SURE WHERE IT WAS ON LNDG. IT COULD HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED POS AND NOT IN ARMED POS. T/D WAS AT 1000' MARK, VERY CLOSE TO ON SPD.

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.