Narrative:

First officer's takeoff 9L miami. Wind 120/09 KTS. Everything normal until right after rotation we felt a 'bump'. Climbed out normally, leveled off. En route to atlanta we started (crew) discussing what could have happened. Found out that flight engineer had used 0 fuel weight for takeoff computation 222.0 instead of actual weight 263.0 so instead of vr speed of 144 KTS we had 130 KTS. We wrote it down in logbook of suspected tail strike, which was confirmed upon landing in atlanta by maintenance. This was our 3RD leg after starting the previous evening. We sat through the cargo sort that night, 2 hours late, very fatigued after a grueling schedule. Coming from mps which was minus 12 degrees to mia plus 74 degrees with a stop in sdf for several hours. We were plus 40 hours behind maximum duty. This was also our 2ND day starting night shift after 7 days off which is the 'worst', getting back to the night routine. Supplemental information from acn 263571: departed almost 2 hours late, the crew, already in a fatigued state due to the cumulative effects of repeated night flts, and minimum rest arrived mia at XX16Z. The crew having endured another sunrise and body clock change departed mia at XX21Z. The crew, in a 'zombie like' state responding to the company's 'optimized' schedules and demands to make service inadvertently computed 'V' speeds at ZFW of 222000 pounds instead of actual weight of 266000 pounds. There is no doubt that this incident occurred due to completely unrealistic schedules and constant day/night body clock FLIP flops. For not 1 but all 3 crew members to be in such a fatigued state so as not to notice a 44,000 pound weight error can only be attributed to near exhaustion, from minimum crew rest and a company who insists on squeezing every last min of time from a crew regardless of consideration that should be given to 'back side' of the clock flying.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC-8 FREIGHTER SUFFERS TAIL STRIKE ON TKOF.

Narrative: FO'S TKOF 9L MIAMI. WIND 120/09 KTS. EVERYTHING NORMAL UNTIL RIGHT AFTER ROTATION WE FELT A 'BUMP'. CLBED OUT NORMALLY, LEVELED OFF. ENRTE TO ATLANTA WE STARTED (CREW) DISCUSSING WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. FOUND OUT THAT FE HAD USED 0 FUEL WT FOR TKOF COMPUTATION 222.0 INSTEAD OF ACTUAL WT 263.0 SO INSTEAD OF VR SPD OF 144 KTS WE HAD 130 KTS. WE WROTE IT DOWN IN LOGBOOK OF SUSPECTED TAIL STRIKE, WHICH WAS CONFIRMED UPON LNDG IN ATLANTA BY MAINT. THIS WAS OUR 3RD LEG AFTER STARTING THE PREVIOUS EVENING. WE SAT THROUGH THE CARGO SORT THAT NIGHT, 2 HRS LATE, VERY FATIGUED AFTER A GRUELING SCHEDULE. COMING FROM MPS WHICH WAS MINUS 12 DEGS TO MIA PLUS 74 DEGS WITH A STOP IN SDF FOR SEVERAL HRS. WE WERE PLUS 40 HRS BEHIND MAX DUTY. THIS WAS ALSO OUR 2ND DAY STARTING NIGHT SHIFT AFTER 7 DAYS OFF WHICH IS THE 'WORST', GETTING BACK TO THE NIGHT ROUTINE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 263571: DEPARTED ALMOST 2 HRS LATE, THE CREW, ALREADY IN A FATIGUED STATE DUE TO THE CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF REPEATED NIGHT FLTS, AND MINIMUM REST ARRIVED MIA AT XX16Z. THE CREW HAVING ENDURED ANOTHER SUNRISE AND BODY CLOCK CHANGE DEPARTED MIA AT XX21Z. THE CREW, IN A 'ZOMBIE LIKE' STATE RESPONDING TO THE COMPANY'S 'OPTIMIZED' SCHEDULES AND DEMANDS TO MAKE SVC INADVERTENTLY COMPUTED 'V' SPDS AT ZFW OF 222000 LBS INSTEAD OF ACTUAL WT OF 266000 LBS. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED DUE TO COMPLETELY UNREALISTIC SCHEDULES AND CONSTANT DAY/NIGHT BODY CLOCK FLIP FLOPS. FOR NOT 1 BUT ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS TO BE IN SUCH A FATIGUED STATE SO AS NOT TO NOTICE A 44,000 LB WT ERROR CAN ONLY BE ATTRIBUTED TO NEAR EXHAUSTION, FROM MINIMUM CREW REST AND A COMPANY WHO INSISTS ON SQUEEZING EVERY LAST MIN OF TIME FROM A CREW REGARDLESS OF CONSIDERATION THAT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO 'BACK SIDE' OF THE CLOCK FLYING.

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.