Narrative:

At ord, had maintenance check both main strut extensions (apparently quite low). Takeoff runway 4L at ord (runway seemed rough -- low struts?). At yyz cleared for approach, intercept GS at 4000 ft, 180 KTS to marker. Approximately 1000 ft cleared to land (aircraft on runway started takeoff roll). Completed checklist. 500-200 ft in slot 600 ft sink. 200 ft call. 50-40-30-20 callouts (first officer) don't remember hearing 10 ft. Flared approximately 30 ft. Pulled power off approximately 10 ft. Hard landing, no bounce. Rollout: notified of sparks by tower (tail strike). Taxiway: flight attendant called (3 flight attendants injured, 1 back, 1 neck). First officer called company to have medical assistance standing by. No passenger reports of injuries until at gate. Possible contributing factors: struts not properly svced (reducing deck angle required to have tail strike with hard landing). 'Black hole' runway (edge lights dim, no centerline lights). Aircraft weighed more than onboard FMC computer calculated, giving lower reference speed, higher deck angle. Conditioned to land at short and or high air fields, ie, sna, ege, jac. Procedure at 30 ft is to set landing attitude (flare), slow sink and then reduce throttles to idle by touchdown (to avoid runway float). Wake turbulence from departing aircraft (believed to be medium large transport), winds light to nil. Supplemental information from acn 233510: at approximately 10 ft (or less), PF sharply reduced throttles and the aircraft landed hard with tail strike. PNF lost headset on impact. Captain with tower about sparks. At gate, 2 passenger reported injuries. Procedures and techniques up to the impact were not out of the ordinary. Thoughts on factors: get down to initial approach altitude more quickly to stabilize the approach. Although high and fast at the marker, I never felt uncomfortable. Have the runway lights turned to a higher intensity. Runway had no centerline lights. The identifiers dim! Nose attitude might have been high. Landing struts could have been svced. Possible weight discrepancy (speculation).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT SUFFERS TAIL STRIKE DURING LNDG PROC. TAIL STRIKE ALSO OCCURS ALONG WITH PAX CAB INJURIES.

Narrative: AT ORD, HAD MAINT CHK BOTH MAIN STRUT EXTENSIONS (APPARENTLY QUITE LOW). TKOF RWY 4L AT ORD (RWY SEEMED ROUGH -- LOW STRUTS?). AT YYZ CLRED FOR APCH, INTERCEPT GS AT 4000 FT, 180 KTS TO MARKER. APPROX 1000 FT CLRED TO LAND (ACFT ON RWY STARTED TKOF ROLL). COMPLETED CHKLIST. 500-200 FT IN SLOT 600 FT SINK. 200 FT CALL. 50-40-30-20 CALLOUTS (FO) DON'T REMEMBER HEARING 10 FT. FLARED APPROX 30 FT. PULLED PWR OFF APPROX 10 FT. HARD LNDG, NO BOUNCE. ROLLOUT: NOTIFIED OF SPARKS BY TWR (TAIL STRIKE). TXWY: FLT ATTENDANT CALLED (3 FLT ATTENDANTS INJURED, 1 BACK, 1 NECK). FO CALLED COMPANY TO HAVE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE STANDING BY. NO PAX RPTS OF INJURIES UNTIL AT GATE. POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: STRUTS NOT PROPERLY SVCED (REDUCING DECK ANGLE REQUIRED TO HAVE TAIL STRIKE WITH HARD LNDG). 'BLACK HOLE' RWY (EDGE LIGHTS DIM, NO CTRLINE LIGHTS). ACFT WEIGHED MORE THAN ONBOARD FMC COMPUTER CALCULATED, GIVING LOWER REF SPD, HIGHER DECK ANGLE. CONDITIONED TO LAND AT SHORT AND OR HIGH AIR FIELDS, IE, SNA, EGE, JAC. PROC AT 30 FT IS TO SET LNDG ATTITUDE (FLARE), SLOW SINK AND THEN REDUCE THROTTLES TO IDLE BY TOUCHDOWN (TO AVOID RWY FLOAT). WAKE TURB FROM DEPARTING ACFT (BELIEVED TO BE MLG), WINDS LIGHT TO NIL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 233510: AT APPROX 10 FT (OR LESS), PF SHARPLY REDUCED THROTTLES AND THE ACFT LANDED HARD WITH TAIL STRIKE. PNF LOST HEADSET ON IMPACT. CAPT WITH TWR ABOUT SPARKS. AT GATE, 2 PAX RPTED INJURIES. PROCS AND TECHNIQUES UP TO THE IMPACT WERE NOT OUT OF THE ORDINARY. THOUGHTS ON FACTORS: GET DOWN TO INITIAL APCH ALT MORE QUICKLY TO STABILIZE THE APCH. ALTHOUGH HIGH AND FAST AT THE MARKER, I NEVER FELT UNCOMFORTABLE. HAVE THE RWY LIGHTS TURNED TO A HIGHER INTENSITY. RWY HAD NO CTRLINE LIGHTS. THE IDENTIFIERS DIM! NOSE ATTITUDE MIGHT HAVE BEEN HIGH. LNDG STRUTS COULD HAVE BEEN SVCED. POSSIBLE WT DISCREPANCY (SPECULATION).

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.