Air carrier widebody transport flight crew experiences tail strike on landing at dfw.

Attributes
ACN	203096
Time
Date	199202
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
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, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 12004 flight time type : 290
ASRS Report	203096
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 550
ASRS Report	203106
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aft flight attendant station reported 'scraping noise' at touchdown. Wrote up report in logbook with request to check tail skid. Mechanic verified tail skid was scraped. Approach was visual with last min change from 17L to 17R. Used raw data instead of reprogramming FMC. Speed was correct (vref plus 5). Touchdown was soft. Have not flown the stretched widebody transport for over a month or more. The large transport makes nice touchdowns with vref plus 5, however, other more experienced pilots on line had advised me to carry a little more speed with widebody transport at touchdown with no extended flare. It seems that I shot myself in the ft with what I thought was a nice landing. Researching back to an article reprinted from the airframe manufacturer's magazine, I find that with struts compressed, the widebody transport with pitch angle of only 7. 7 degree can still get a tail strike. Supplemental information from acn 203106: approach was begun as a visual to runway 17L on 3-1/2 mi final, tower cleared us to land on 17R. Most likely cause of this was the captain holding the aircraft off the runway just a little too long, trying for an extra smooth touchdown.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB FLC EXPERIENCES TAIL STRIKE ON LNDG AT DFW.

Narrative: AFT FLT ATTENDANT STATION RPTED 'SCRAPING NOISE' AT TOUCHDOWN. WROTE UP RPT IN LOGBOOK WITH REQUEST TO CHK TAIL SKID. MECH VERIFIED TAIL SKID WAS SCRAPED. APCH WAS VISUAL WITH LAST MIN CHANGE FROM 17L TO 17R. USED RAW DATA INSTEAD OF REPROGRAMMING FMC. SPD WAS CORRECT (VREF PLUS 5). TOUCHDOWN WAS SOFT. HAVE NOT FLOWN THE STRETCHED WDB FOR OVER A MONTH OR MORE. THE LGT MAKES NICE TOUCHDOWNS WITH VREF PLUS 5, HOWEVER, OTHER MORE EXPERIENCED PLTS ON LINE HAD ADVISED ME TO CARRY A LITTLE MORE SPD WITH WDB AT TOUCHDOWN WITH NO EXTENDED FLARE. IT SEEMS THAT I SHOT MYSELF IN THE FT WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A NICE LNDG. RESEARCHING BACK TO AN ARTICLE REPRINTED FROM THE AIRFRAME MANUFACTURER'S MAGAZINE, I FIND THAT WITH STRUTS COMPRESSED, THE WDB WITH PITCH ANGLE OF ONLY 7. 7 DEG CAN STILL GET A TAIL STRIKE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 203106: APCH WAS BEGUN AS A VISUAL TO RWY 17L ON 3-1/2 MI FINAL, TWR CLRED US TO LAND ON 17R. MOST LIKELY CAUSE OF THIS WAS THE CAPT HOLDING THE ACFT OFF THE RWY JUST A LITTLE TOO LONG, TRYING FOR AN EXTRA SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN.

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.