Narrative:

During taxi to runway 35R at den, I was preoccupied with computing the maximum tailwind component we could accept. The flight was runway limited due to temperature. The ATIS wind was 130/04. Load planner had not applied tailwind correction. Captain called for taxi checklist and while handing them the weight/speed cards, I dropped them behind the trash bag between the console and the first officer's seat. I retrieved them and tossed them over the throttle quadrant and on top of the radar screen. The takeoff roll was normal, as was rotation, but the aircraft was very sluggish leaving the ground, settling back to the runway once before beginning the climb out. After the power was pulled back to climb setting we all saw the weight/speed cards were set to 144000 pounds. Actual weight was plus 156000 pounds. Incorrect bug settings had caused us to rotate early. We hit the tail skid, compressing the cartridge about an inch. While aft shutting off water to aft lavs, I noted no unusual noise or vibration. The tail skid indicator was on after gear retraction, but I believe the tail skid was not fully retracted rather than extended. Flight continued without further incident. Primary cause was flight engineer's failure to verify correct weight on weight/speed cards. Contributing factors: excessive preoccupation with tailwind calculations, some distraction from overhead speaker, and some fatigue from previous day's commute and sleeping on couch in crew lounge previous night.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LGT ACR ACFT ROTATED EARLY DURING TKOF CAUSING A TAIL SKID STRIKE, DAMAGING THE TAIL SKID.

Narrative: DURING TAXI TO RWY 35R AT DEN, I WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH COMPUTING THE MAX TAILWIND COMPONENT WE COULD ACCEPT. THE FLT WAS RWY LIMITED DUE TO TEMP. THE ATIS WIND WAS 130/04. LOAD PLANNER HAD NOT APPLIED TAILWIND CORRECTION. CAPT CALLED FOR TAXI CHKLIST AND WHILE HANDING THEM THE WT/SPD CARDS, I DROPPED THEM BEHIND THE TRASH BAG BTWN THE CONSOLE AND THE FO'S SEAT. I RETRIEVED THEM AND TOSSED THEM OVER THE THROTTLE QUADRANT AND ON TOP OF THE RADAR SCREEN. THE TKOF ROLL WAS NORMAL, AS WAS ROTATION, BUT THE ACFT WAS VERY SLUGGISH LEAVING THE GND, SETTLING BACK TO THE RWY ONCE BEFORE BEGINNING THE CLBOUT. AFTER THE PWR WAS PULLED BACK TO CLB SETTING WE ALL SAW THE WT/SPD CARDS WERE SET TO 144000 LBS. ACTUAL WT WAS PLUS 156000 LBS. INCORRECT BUG SETTINGS HAD CAUSED US TO ROTATE EARLY. WE HIT THE TAIL SKID, COMPRESSING THE CARTRIDGE ABOUT AN INCH. WHILE AFT SHUTTING OFF WATER TO AFT LAVS, I NOTED NO UNUSUAL NOISE OR VIBRATION. THE TAIL SKID INDICATOR WAS ON AFTER GEAR RETRACTION, BUT I BELIEVE THE TAIL SKID WAS NOT FULLY RETRACTED RATHER THAN EXTENDED. FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. PRIMARY CAUSE WAS FE'S FAILURE TO VERIFY CORRECT WT ON WT/SPD CARDS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: EXCESSIVE PREOCCUPATION WITH TAILWIND CALCULATIONS, SOME DISTR FROM OVERHEAD SPEAKER, AND SOME FATIGUE FROM PREVIOUS DAY'S COMMUTE AND SLEEPING ON COUCH IN CREW LOUNGE PREVIOUS NIGHT.

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.