Air carrier widebody transport aircraft experiences tail strike during landing at slc.

Attributes
ACN	160434
Time
Date	199010
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : slc
State Reference	UT
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	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	160434
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Captain landed too nose high at slc runway 34L and the tailskid of the widebody transport made contact with the runway. There was damage to both the aircraft and the runway surface. This was a surprise to all of us in the cockpit because the approach and landing seemed normal, with the exception of the captain floating the aircraft at 3-5' above the runway. The second officer claims he heard the tailskid strike the ground, then noticed a 'tailskid light' illuminated on his panel. However, the captain and I heard nothing, nor did anything seem out of the ordinary. (I say 'ordinary,' although it was only my second trip on the line in the widebody transport.) the obvious solution is not to try to hold the aircraft off the runway in order to make a perfectly smooth landing, but just flare the aircraft to break the high rate of descent.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB ACFT EXPERIENCES TAIL STRIKE DURING LNDG AT SLC.

Narrative: CAPT LANDED TOO NOSE HIGH AT SLC RWY 34L AND THE TAILSKID OF THE WDB MADE CONTACT WITH THE RWY. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO BOTH THE ACFT AND THE RWY SURFACE. THIS WAS A SURPRISE TO ALL OF US IN THE COCKPIT BECAUSE THE APCH AND LNDG SEEMED NORMAL, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CAPT FLOATING THE ACFT AT 3-5' ABOVE THE RWY. THE S/O CLAIMS HE HEARD THE TAILSKID STRIKE THE GND, THEN NOTICED A 'TAILSKID LIGHT' ILLUMINATED ON HIS PANEL. HOWEVER, THE CAPT AND I HEARD NOTHING, NOR DID ANYTHING SEEM OUT OF THE ORDINARY. (I SAY 'ORDINARY,' ALTHOUGH IT WAS ONLY MY SECOND TRIP ON THE LINE IN THE WDB.) THE OBVIOUS SOLUTION IS NOT TO TRY TO HOLD THE ACFT OFF THE RWY IN ORDER TO MAKE A PERFECTLY SMOOTH LNDG, BUT JUST FLARE THE ACFT TO BREAK THE HIGH RATE OF DSNT.

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.