Narrative:

The takeoff from runway 4 at lga was normal. At about 3500 ft during an ATC vector toward west, the so informed the captain that the tail skid warning light was illuminated. The captain and the so then proceeded to review the abnormal procedure for a tail skid warning light illuminated in-flight. I continued to monitor ATC and the aircraft's flight path. Even though the cockpit crew could not believe a tail skid strike may have caused the malfunction, the flight attendants were asked if they had noticed anything unusual during the takeoff. A flight attendant seated in the rear jumpseat said she had heard a loud noise during landing gear retraction. The exact nature of the malfunction could not be determined in-flight, so the cockpit crew followed the procedure for a tail skid strike even though this was not the suspected reason for the malfunction. This was a shuttle flight to dca so there wasn't very much time to do anything except comply with the abnormal procedure and inform the company by radio. On post-flight inspection, the tail skid was detached from the crush canister, crush canister was intact and the tail skid rubbing block was missing. The rivets that hold the tail skid to the crush canister were sheared. It did not look like a tail skid strike but rather a failure of the assembly. The aircraft had had a tail skid inspection 2 weeks prior due to a logbook write-up and had a new rubbing block installed 1 week prior to this event. ATC at lga was informed of possible missing pieces and swept the runway. No parts were found.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAIL SKID WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES DURING CLB.

Narrative: THE TKOF FROM RWY 4 AT LGA WAS NORMAL. AT ABOUT 3500 FT DURING AN ATC VECTOR TOWARD W, THE SO INFORMED THE CAPT THAT THE TAIL SKID WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CAPT AND THE SO THEN PROCEEDED TO REVIEW THE ABNORMAL PROC FOR A TAIL SKID WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INFLT. I CONTINUED TO MONITOR ATC AND THE ACFT'S FLT PATH. EVEN THOUGH THE COCKPIT CREW COULD NOT BELIEVE A TAIL SKID STRIKE MAY HAVE CAUSED THE MALFUNCTION, THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE ASKED IF THEY HAD NOTICED ANYTHING UNUSUAL DURING THE TKOF. A FLT ATTENDANT SEATED IN THE REAR JUMPSEAT SAID SHE HAD HEARD A LOUD NOISE DURING LNDG GEAR RETRACTION. THE EXACT NATURE OF THE MALFUNCTION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED INFLT, SO THE COCKPIT CREW FOLLOWED THE PROC FOR A TAIL SKID STRIKE EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS NOT THE SUSPECTED REASON FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THIS WAS A SHUTTLE FLT TO DCA SO THERE WASN'T VERY MUCH TIME TO DO ANYTHING EXCEPT COMPLY WITH THE ABNORMAL PROC AND INFORM THE COMPANY BY RADIO. ON POST-FLT INSPECTION, THE TAIL SKID WAS DETACHED FROM THE CRUSH CANISTER, CRUSH CANISTER WAS INTACT AND THE TAIL SKID RUBBING BLOCK WAS MISSING. THE RIVETS THAT HOLD THE TAIL SKID TO THE CRUSH CANISTER WERE SHEARED. IT DID NOT LOOK LIKE A TAIL SKID STRIKE BUT RATHER A FAILURE OF THE ASSEMBLY. THE ACFT HAD HAD A TAIL SKID INSPECTION 2 WKS PRIOR DUE TO A LOGBOOK WRITE-UP AND HAD A NEW RUBBING BLOCK INSTALLED 1 WK PRIOR TO THIS EVENT. ATC AT LGA WAS INFORMED OF POSSIBLE MISSING PIECES AND SWEPT THE RWY. NO PARTS WERE FOUND.

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.