Air carrier heavy transport tail strike on landing.

Attributes
ACN	141869
Time
Date	199003
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Heavy Transport, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 177 flight time total : 6400 flight time type : 4200
ASRS Report	141869
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

First officer flying a stable approach to approximately 50'. When flare was started aircraft seemed to just stop flying at vref+2, produced bounce on contact with runway. I, as captain, was following first officer on controls through entire approach and assisted him on proper position of yoke to lower nose for a normal recovery landing. As plane was settling back down first officer unexpectedly pulled hard aft on yoke striking me in stomach. The nose immediately began to rise as I called out to, 'lower the nose,' while simultaneously pushing forward on yoke in an attempt to counteract. Nose continued to rise, dragging tail on runway causing minor sheet metal damage. Possible reason for the initial bounce could be a recurring problem on this particular plane of the central air data system (cads), giving us an erroneous airspeed. Landing gross weight could have been greater due to cargo loading out of country with uncalibrated scale. Another possible contributing factor was found later: F/east had given a vref speed 3 kits under for gross weight shown on weight and balance. The heavy transport occasionally scrapes the tail on takeoff and lndgs. A device such as the large transport or several other aircraft have to prevent tail damage would possibly, if installed on the heavy transport, have stopped damage to tail in this situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR HVT TAIL STRIKE ON LNDG.

Narrative: F/O FLYING A STABLE APCH TO APPROX 50'. WHEN FLARE WAS STARTED ACFT SEEMED TO JUST STOP FLYING AT VREF+2, PRODUCED BOUNCE ON CONTACT WITH RWY. I, AS CAPT, WAS FOLLOWING F/O ON CONTROLS THROUGH ENTIRE APCH AND ASSISTED HIM ON PROPER POS OF YOKE TO LOWER NOSE FOR A NORMAL RECOVERY LNDG. AS PLANE WAS SETTLING BACK DOWN F/O UNEXPECTEDLY PULLED HARD AFT ON YOKE STRIKING ME IN STOMACH. THE NOSE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO RISE AS I CALLED OUT TO, 'LOWER THE NOSE,' WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY PUSHING FORWARD ON YOKE IN AN ATTEMPT TO COUNTERACT. NOSE CONTINUED TO RISE, DRAGGING TAIL ON RWY CAUSING MINOR SHEET METAL DAMAGE. POSSIBLE REASON FOR THE INITIAL BOUNCE COULD BE A RECURRING PROB ON THIS PARTICULAR PLANE OF THE CENTRAL AIR DATA SYS (CADS), GIVING US AN ERRONEOUS AIRSPD. LNDG GROSS WT COULD HAVE BEEN GREATER DUE TO CARGO LOADING OUT OF COUNTRY WITH UNCALIBRATED SCALE. ANOTHER POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS FOUND LATER: F/E HAD GIVEN A VREF SPD 3 KITS UNDER FOR GROSS WT SHOWN ON WT AND BAL. THE HVT OCCASIONALLY SCRAPES THE TAIL ON TKOF AND LNDGS. A DEVICE SUCH AS THE LGT OR SEVERAL OTHER ACFT HAVE TO PREVENT TAIL DAMAGE WOULD POSSIBLY, IF INSTALLED ON THE HVT, HAVE STOPPED DAMAGE TO TAIL IN THIS SITUATION.

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