Narrative:

After crossing runway 6 threshold, power was pulled back to flight idle and flare was initiated. At touchdown, deck angle was a little higher than normal but was not perceived by either crew member as excessive. All indications and sensations were normal and no abnormalities were noted. We taxied to the gate, blocked in, and shut down. As we were leaving the cockpit a non revenue captain approached the cockpit and informed me it sounded as though I had scraped the tail. Upon inspection it was discovered that the tail had been scraped. I am not able to pinpoint why this happened. I do remember that for some reason the runway environment appeared excessively dark and visual reference seemed difficult to obtain and therefore led to a higher level off and flare. We also had quite an aft center of gravity which would enable a higher deck angle at lower airspds. The aircraft was loaded such that according to our center of gravity calculation we were near our aft limits. We are trained to maintain vapp plus 10/minus 0 over the threshold until 20 ft AGL. It is then the profile calls for the power to be brought all the way back to flight idle and flare to landing accomplished. There are no published restrictions on deck angle from 20 ft to touchdown for the aircraft. Maybe this profile should be reviewed and deck angle limits be established. Supplemental information from acn 240650: a possible contributing factor was that the touchdown zone of the runway appeared very dark even though the runway lights were on. In fact, at about 200 ft AGL the captain mentioned that it looked 'like a black hole down there' and we checked to make sure our landing lights were on -- and they were.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MDT SCRAPES TAIL ON RWY DURING LNDG AT MKG.

Narrative: AFTER XING RWY 6 THRESHOLD, PWR WAS PULLED BACK TO FLT IDLE AND FLARE WAS INITIATED. AT TOUCHDOWN, DECK ANGLE WAS A LITTLE HIGHER THAN NORMAL BUT WAS NOT PERCEIVED BY EITHER CREW MEMBER AS EXCESSIVE. ALL INDICATIONS AND SENSATIONS WERE NORMAL AND NO ABNORMALITIES WERE NOTED. WE TAXIED TO THE GATE, BLOCKED IN, AND SHUT DOWN. AS WE WERE LEAVING THE COCKPIT A NON REVENUE CAPT APCHED THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED ME IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH I HAD SCRAPED THE TAIL. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TAIL HAD BEEN SCRAPED. I AM NOT ABLE TO PINPOINT WHY THIS HAPPENED. I DO REMEMBER THAT FOR SOME REASON THE RWY ENVIRONMENT APPEARED EXCESSIVELY DARK AND VISUAL REF SEEMED DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN AND THEREFORE LED TO A HIGHER LEVEL OFF AND FLARE. WE ALSO HAD QUITE AN AFT CTR OF GRAVITY WHICH WOULD ENABLE A HIGHER DECK ANGLE AT LOWER AIRSPDS. THE ACFT WAS LOADED SUCH THAT ACCORDING TO OUR CTR OF GRAVITY CALCULATION WE WERE NEAR OUR AFT LIMITS. WE ARE TRAINED TO MAINTAIN VAPP PLUS 10/MINUS 0 OVER THE THRESHOLD UNTIL 20 FT AGL. IT IS THEN THE PROFILE CALLS FOR THE PWR TO BE BROUGHT ALL THE WAY BACK TO FLT IDLE AND FLARE TO LNDG ACCOMPLISHED. THERE ARE NO PUBLISHED RESTRICTIONS ON DECK ANGLE FROM 20 FT TO TOUCHDOWN FOR THE ACFT. MAYBE THIS PROFILE SHOULD BE REVIEWED AND DECK ANGLE LIMITS BE ESTABLISHED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 240650: A POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE OF THE RWY APPEARED VERY DARK EVEN THOUGH THE RWY LIGHTS WERE ON. IN FACT, AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL THE CAPT MENTIONED THAT IT LOOKED 'LIKE A BLACK HOLE DOWN THERE' AND WE CHKED TO MAKE SURE OUR LNDG LIGHTS WERE ON -- AND THEY WERE.

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.