Tail strike in landing procedure damages advanced widebody transport's water drain mast.

Attributes
ACN	208797
Time
Date	199204
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pbi
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	208797
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3550 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	208791
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera 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:

After landing on 27R and during taxi to terminal crew was advised by ground control there appeared to be something hanging from rear of aircraft. The approach had been approximately 15 mi stabilized on VASI/on speed, winds 320/09. Landing seemed uneventful and no one realized anything unusual. The winds on the surface had been somewhat gusty but I thought they were handled ok. After arriving at gate mechanic advised crew the right water drain mast was broken and the tailskid was inspected with no compression or other damage found. The flight continued after the checks had been completed to assure airworthiness. In retrospect -- we knew the runway had just been changed and should have expected unsettled winds on the surface even though the approach was very stabilized. A full flare may not have been appropriate. The touchdown was a smooth one without excessive sink, but inputs to control winds and get a smooth landing must have resulted in a deck angle allowing contact. Supplemental information from acn 208791. The captain and first officer immediately went out to inspect the tailskid. There did not appear to be any indications of any serious scraping, just minor scuffing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAIL STRIKE IN LNDG PROC DAMAGES ADVANCED WDB'S WATER DRAIN MAST.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON 27R AND DURING TAXI TO TERMINAL CREW WAS ADVISED BY GND CTL THERE APPEARED TO BE SOMETHING HANGING FROM REAR OF ACFT. THE APCH HAD BEEN APPROX 15 MI STABILIZED ON VASI/ON SPD, WINDS 320/09. LNDG SEEMED UNEVENTFUL AND NO ONE REALIZED ANYTHING UNUSUAL. THE WINDS ON THE SURFACE HAD BEEN SOMEWHAT GUSTY BUT I THOUGHT THEY WERE HANDLED OK. AFTER ARRIVING AT GATE MECH ADVISED CREW THE R WATER DRAIN MAST WAS BROKEN AND THE TAILSKID WAS INSPECTED WITH NO COMPRESSION OR OTHER DAMAGE FOUND. THE FLT CONTINUED AFTER THE CHKS HAD BEEN COMPLETED TO ASSURE AIRWORTHINESS. IN RETROSPECT -- WE KNEW THE RWY HAD JUST BEEN CHANGED AND SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED UNSETTLED WINDS ON THE SURFACE EVEN THOUGH THE APCH WAS VERY STABILIZED. A FULL FLARE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS A SMOOTH ONE WITHOUT EXCESSIVE SINK, BUT INPUTS TO CTL WINDS AND GET A SMOOTH LNDG MUST HAVE RESULTED IN A DECK ANGLE ALLOWING CONTACT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 208791. THE CAPT AND FO IMMEDIATELY WENT OUT TO INSPECT THE TAILSKID. THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY INDICATIONS OF ANY SERIOUS SCRAPING, JUST MINOR SCUFFING.

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.