Narrative:

Possible tail strike on landing. I'm not convinced the tail damage occurred on this leg. It is possible the damage occurred on a previous flight, and the first officer missed this on his msp walkaround. Note that on the advanced cockpit large transport with the side stick controller, the PNF has no idea of the other pilot's control movements, but can only rely on the aircraft pitch and roll angle changes. This makes it very difficult to know what to interject during a potential bad landing. Takeoff was normal with flaps 1 and flex 38 degrees. However, after pulling the throttles back from flex to climb, the autothrust system disengaged. We reactivated the autothrust system after noting the FCU speed display was normal. The autoplt was engaged after the flaps were up and remained engaged to approximately 1000' AGL on ILS final at ord 22R. Below 100' the aircraft became about 5 KTS slow. The first officer noticed that and increased power to prevent any further decrease in airspeed. At about 50' AGL, the aircraft slowed an additional 2 KTS and the first officer again adjusted the power and pitch to prevent a sink rate from occurring. He broke the descent with pitch at about 20' and left the power on to just before T/D. The last pitch attitude I noted was at this time. Approximately 10 degrees with airspeed 5-7 KTS below V app. We had a firm T/D (not a hard landing). We taxied in normally. We did not even consider that a tail strike had occurred. Supplemental information from acn 153582: I arrived at the aircraft 40 mins prior to departure in msp. After leaving my flight bag in the cockpit, I went outside for my walkaround. Nothing unusual was noted during aircraft walkaround. Disconnected autoplt at 1000' AGL and hand flew rest of approach. At 100' callout scanned INS (pfd and engine upper ECAM). Noticed approximately 5 KTS below bug speed. Pulled throttles out of detent to a position just above actual power being produced at time. Started to flare at about 50' AGL and noticed what appeared to be a higher than normal sink rate. I didn't reduce power in flare, but did raise the nose to compensate for sink. Landed with power on and had a firm T/D. Used reverse thrust and confirmed spoiler deployment. At 90 KTS applied brakes. Parked at gate 10 mins early and stayed in aircraft until all passenger deplaned. During walkaround noticed paint was missing on aircraft belly and then saw that the train mast slightly bent. Notified maintenance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO (PF) OF ADVANCED COCKPIT ACFT WITH A SIDE STICK CTL GETS SLOW ON FINAL APCH AND HAS FIRM LNDG WITH TAIL STRIKE AT ORD.

Narrative: POSSIBLE TAIL STRIKE ON LNDG. I'M NOT CONVINCED THE TAIL DAMAGE OCCURRED ON THIS LEG. IT IS POSSIBLE THE DAMAGE OCCURRED ON A PREVIOUS FLT, AND THE F/O MISSED THIS ON HIS MSP WALKAROUND. NOTE THAT ON THE ADVANCED COCKPIT LGT WITH THE SIDE STICK CTLR, THE PNF HAS NO IDEA OF THE OTHER PLT'S CTL MOVEMENTS, BUT CAN ONLY RELY ON THE ACFT PITCH AND ROLL ANGLE CHANGES. THIS MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHAT TO INTERJECT DURING A POTENTIAL BAD LNDG. TKOF WAS NORMAL WITH FLAPS 1 AND FLEX 38 DEGS. HOWEVER, AFTER PULLING THE THROTTLES BACK FROM FLEX TO CLB, THE AUTOTHRUST SYS DISENGAGED. WE REACTIVATED THE AUTOTHRUST SYS AFTER NOTING THE FCU SPD DISPLAY WAS NORMAL. THE AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED AFTER THE FLAPS WERE UP AND REMAINED ENGAGED TO APPROX 1000' AGL ON ILS FINAL AT ORD 22R. BELOW 100' THE ACFT BECAME ABOUT 5 KTS SLOW. THE F/O NOTICED THAT AND INCREASED PWR TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER DECREASE IN AIRSPD. AT ABOUT 50' AGL, THE ACFT SLOWED AN ADDITIONAL 2 KTS AND THE F/O AGAIN ADJUSTED THE PWR AND PITCH TO PREVENT A SINK RATE FROM OCCURRING. HE BROKE THE DSNT WITH PITCH AT ABOUT 20' AND LEFT THE PWR ON TO JUST BEFORE T/D. THE LAST PITCH ATTITUDE I NOTED WAS AT THIS TIME. APPROX 10 DEGS WITH AIRSPD 5-7 KTS BELOW V APP. WE HAD A FIRM T/D (NOT A HARD LNDG). WE TAXIED IN NORMALLY. WE DID NOT EVEN CONSIDER THAT A TAIL STRIKE HAD OCCURRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 153582: I ARRIVED AT THE ACFT 40 MINS PRIOR TO DEP IN MSP. AFTER LEAVING MY FLT BAG IN THE COCKPIT, I WENT OUTSIDE FOR MY WALKAROUND. NOTHING UNUSUAL WAS NOTED DURING ACFT WALKAROUND. DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT AT 1000' AGL AND HAND FLEW REST OF APCH. AT 100' CALLOUT SCANNED INS (PFD AND ENG UPPER ECAM). NOTICED APPROX 5 KTS BELOW BUG SPD. PULLED THROTTLES OUT OF DETENT TO A POS JUST ABOVE ACTUAL PWR BEING PRODUCED AT TIME. STARTED TO FLARE AT ABOUT 50' AGL AND NOTICED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A HIGHER THAN NORMAL SINK RATE. I DIDN'T REDUCE PWR IN FLARE, BUT DID RAISE THE NOSE TO COMPENSATE FOR SINK. LANDED WITH PWR ON AND HAD A FIRM T/D. USED REVERSE THRUST AND CONFIRMED SPOILER DEPLOYMENT. AT 90 KTS APPLIED BRAKES. PARKED AT GATE 10 MINS EARLY AND STAYED IN ACFT UNTIL ALL PAX DEPLANED. DURING WALKAROUND NOTICED PAINT WAS MISSING ON ACFT BELLY AND THEN SAW THAT THE TRAIN MAST SLIGHTLY BENT. NOTIFIED MAINT.

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.