Narrative:

Takeoff in a B-727, flaps 5, trim 5, center of gravity 22.6, tow 165000, red power, temperature 85 degrees fahrenheit, light winds -- less than 5 KTS. First officer was flying aircraft. V1 was called 5 KTS prior to actual V1 and rotate called at actual V1 vr. First officer initiated rotation at V1 call rather than rotate call. Rotation rate was slow to slower than normal. Aircraft became airborne at 10 degree nose up pitch attitude and V2 plus 2 KTS approximately. After gear was retracted, the so announced that the tailskid light was illuminated and the abnormal checklists for the light were consulted and procedures performed. Gear was also extended and retracted again to see if that would eliminate the light, with no success. Phone patch was initiated to dispatch and new fuel burn figures obtained and maintenance was notified of the problem. Upon arrival at newark, the following damage was noted: 1) tailskid was hanging down. 2) skid plate was loose, missing a bolt, and slightly scuffed on 1 side of plate. 3) cylinder core was missing. 4) cylinder was not crushed or bent in any manner. 5) cylinder bottom had separated from cylinder. 6) small puncture in aft airstairs door skin just aft of the hinge point. Damage was not like anything I would have expected for a tail strike. The skid plate for instance was only slightly scuffed on 1 side and the cylinder was intact and not crushed. I suspect that it may have come apart on takeoff and the damage noted resulted from banging on the runway at landing, since the skid had separated from the cylinder. I have no way of proving that however, and while the first officer's maneuvers during takeoff were within the technical regime for a tail strike, they were well within the parameters of other successful takeoffs. Supplemental information from acn 288111: there is only a very small difference between required pitch attitude for flaps 5 degree takeoff and the possibility of tailskid strike. Both approximately 10 degree pitch altitude. Unless necessary for safety, I recommend only using 15 degree flaps setting for takeoff in the 727.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAIL SKID STRIKE OCCURRED ON TKOF BUT DAMAGE WAS INCONSISTENT WITH NORMAL TAIL SKID STRIKE.

Narrative: TKOF IN A B-727, FLAPS 5, TRIM 5, CTR OF GRAVITY 22.6, TOW 165000, RED PWR, TEMP 85 DEGS FAHRENHEIT, LIGHT WINDS -- LESS THAN 5 KTS. FO WAS FLYING ACFT. V1 WAS CALLED 5 KTS PRIOR TO ACTUAL V1 AND ROTATE CALLED AT ACTUAL V1 VR. FO INITIATED ROTATION AT V1 CALL RATHER THAN ROTATE CALL. ROTATION RATE WAS SLOW TO SLOWER THAN NORMAL. ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE AT 10 DEG NOSE UP PITCH ATTITUDE AND V2 PLUS 2 KTS APPROX. AFTER GEAR WAS RETRACTED, THE SO ANNOUNCED THAT THE TAILSKID LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND THE ABNORMAL CHKLISTS FOR THE LIGHT WERE CONSULTED AND PROCS PERFORMED. GEAR WAS ALSO EXTENDED AND RETRACTED AGAIN TO SEE IF THAT WOULD ELIMINATE THE LIGHT, WITH NO SUCCESS. PHONE PATCH WAS INITIATED TO DISPATCH AND NEW FUEL BURN FIGURES OBTAINED AND MAINT WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROB. UPON ARR AT NEWARK, THE FOLLOWING DAMAGE WAS NOTED: 1) TAILSKID WAS HANGING DOWN. 2) SKID PLATE WAS LOOSE, MISSING A BOLT, AND SLIGHTLY SCUFFED ON 1 SIDE OF PLATE. 3) CYLINDER CORE WAS MISSING. 4) CYLINDER WAS NOT CRUSHED OR BENT IN ANY MANNER. 5) CYLINDER BOTTOM HAD SEPARATED FROM CYLINDER. 6) SMALL PUNCTURE IN AFT AIRSTAIRS DOOR SKIN JUST AFT OF THE HINGE POINT. DAMAGE WAS NOT LIKE ANYTHING I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED FOR A TAIL STRIKE. THE SKID PLATE FOR INSTANCE WAS ONLY SLIGHTLY SCUFFED ON 1 SIDE AND THE CYLINDER WAS INTACT AND NOT CRUSHED. I SUSPECT THAT IT MAY HAVE COME APART ON TKOF AND THE DAMAGE NOTED RESULTED FROM BANGING ON THE RWY AT LNDG, SINCE THE SKID HAD SEPARATED FROM THE CYLINDER. I HAVE NO WAY OF PROVING THAT HOWEVER, AND WHILE THE FO'S MANEUVERS DURING TKOF WERE WITHIN THE TECHNICAL REGIME FOR A TAIL STRIKE, THEY WERE WELL WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF OTHER SUCCESSFUL TKOFS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 288111: THERE IS ONLY A VERY SMALL DIFFERENCE BTWN REQUIRED PITCH ATTITUDE FOR FLAPS 5 DEG TKOF AND THE POSSIBILITY OF TAILSKID STRIKE. BOTH APPROX 10 DEG PITCH ALT. UNLESS NECESSARY FOR SAFETY, I RECOMMEND ONLY USING 15 DEG FLAPS SETTING FOR TKOF IN THE 727.

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.