Narrative:

I'm setting our takeoff airspeed bugs. The first officer had inadvertently set his rotate bug 10 KTS slow. As I was monitoring the takeoff roll and just prior to my calling 'rotate,' I noticed the aircraft begin to rotate. I quickly compared my bug to the takeoff numbers card to see if it was right as I called 'rotate.' the rotation rate was slow and the airspeed was increasing normally so I anticipated a normal liftoff even though rotation was a little early. During the liftoff I heard a slight scraping sound but felt nothing unusual. Aircraft control was normal throughout the takeoff and ensuing flight. The tailskid strike was caused by a mis-set rotate bug and perhaps aided by the fact that it was a 5 degree flap takeoff. More care needs to be exercised in comparing the bug settings of both pilots. I, for one, will be much more diligent in comparing my bug settings with the first officer's in the future. Supplemental information from acn 266891: during takeoff check on a scheduled flight from dtw-bdl I challenged with 'marked bug 155.' I noticed that both captain and first officer had the correct marked bug set. I did not notice that the first officer's V1/vr bug was set to 129 instead of 139 as required. Supplemental information from acn 267014: on takeoff from runway 3C while I was flying (first officer), we rotated early and hit tail skid. I had set my V1/vr bug at 129 KTS instead of 139 KTS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DAMAGED AFTER TAIL SKID STRIKE OCCURS DURING TKOF PROC.

Narrative: I'M SETTING OUR TKOF AIRSPD BUGS. THE FO HAD INADVERTENTLY SET HIS ROTATE BUG 10 KTS SLOW. AS I WAS MONITORING THE TKOF ROLL AND JUST PRIOR TO MY CALLING 'ROTATE,' I NOTICED THE ACFT BEGIN TO ROTATE. I QUICKLY COMPARED MY BUG TO THE TKOF NUMBERS CARD TO SEE IF IT WAS RIGHT AS I CALLED 'ROTATE.' THE ROTATION RATE WAS SLOW AND THE AIRSPD WAS INCREASING NORMALLY SO I ANTICIPATED A NORMAL LIFTOFF EVEN THOUGH ROTATION WAS A LITTLE EARLY. DURING THE LIFTOFF I HEARD A SLIGHT SCRAPING SOUND BUT FELT NOTHING UNUSUAL. ACFT CTL WAS NORMAL THROUGHOUT THE TKOF AND ENSUING FLT. THE TAILSKID STRIKE WAS CAUSED BY A MIS-SET ROTATE BUG AND PERHAPS AIDED BY THE FACT THAT IT WAS A 5 DEG FLAP TKOF. MORE CARE NEEDS TO BE EXERCISED IN COMPARING THE BUG SETTINGS OF BOTH PLTS. I, FOR ONE, WILL BE MUCH MORE DILIGENT IN COMPARING MY BUG SETTINGS WITH THE FO'S IN THE FUTURE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 266891: DURING TKOF CHK ON A SCHEDULED FLT FROM DTW-BDL I CHALLENGED WITH 'MARKED BUG 155.' I NOTICED THAT BOTH CAPT AND FO HAD THE CORRECT MARKED BUG SET. I DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE FO'S V1/VR BUG WAS SET TO 129 INSTEAD OF 139 AS REQUIRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 267014: ON TKOF FROM RWY 3C WHILE I WAS FLYING (FO), WE ROTATED EARLY AND HIT TAIL SKID. I HAD SET MY V1/VR BUG AT 129 KTS INSTEAD OF 139 KTS.

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.