Narrative:

During taxi out for takeoff, the captain's seat adjustment would not comfortably lock in. First officer taxied aircraft while captain continued to try and adjust. We fell behind on checklists, but did get everything done prior to takeoff. Captain made takeoff but was not mentally prepared to think 'slow rotation' for our reduced EPR, 5 degrees flap, mid-weight takeoff. A quick rotation resulted in a scraping of tailskid without damage to aircraft. As a senior first officer, I could have made a quick comment as to rotation rate, but 'behind the aircraft' was the key factor. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is an first officer on the B-727-200 for a major united states air carrier. His air carrier has 5 different models of the B-727-200. This particular aircraft has small engines that limits its performance on heavy weight takeoffs. The reporter has been flying with many new capts that have come from higher performance aircraft. They need to be reminded of the lower performance of the 727. The captain acquired 'tunnel vision over the seat problem' and apparently forgot about the heavy weight rotation problem. There was nothing the first officer could have done to prevent this. They did not crush the cylinder, 'just polished the tip.' maintenance checked the skid and took no action. The reporter now reminds his capts when this heavy weight, low power situation might recur. The reporter says that the captain 'is a space cadet, always a little behind.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAILSKID STRIKE ON TKOF OVER ROTATION.

Narrative: DURING TAXI OUT FOR TKOF, THE CAPT'S SEAT ADJUSTMENT WOULD NOT COMFORTABLY LOCK IN. FO TAXIED ACFT WHILE CAPT CONTINUED TO TRY AND ADJUST. WE FELL BEHIND ON CHKLISTS, BUT DID GET EVERYTHING DONE PRIOR TO TKOF. CAPT MADE TKOF BUT WAS NOT MENTALLY PREPARED TO THINK 'SLOW ROTATION' FOR OUR REDUCED EPR, 5 DEGS FLAP, MID-WT TKOF. A QUICK ROTATION RESULTED IN A SCRAPING OF TAILSKID WITHOUT DAMAGE TO ACFT. AS A SENIOR FO, I COULD HAVE MADE A QUICK COMMENT AS TO ROTATION RATE, BUT 'BEHIND THE ACFT' WAS THE KEY FACTOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS AN FO ON THE B-727-200 FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR. HIS ACR HAS 5 DIFFERENT MODELS OF THE B-727-200. THIS PARTICULAR ACFT HAS SMALL ENGS THAT LIMITS ITS PERFORMANCE ON HVY WT TKOFS. THE RPTR HAS BEEN FLYING WITH MANY NEW CAPTS THAT HAVE COME FROM HIGHER PERFORMANCE ACFT. THEY NEED TO BE REMINDED OF THE LOWER PERFORMANCE OF THE 727. THE CAPT ACQUIRED 'TUNNEL VISION OVER THE SEAT PROB' AND APPARENTLY FORGOT ABOUT THE HVY WT ROTATION PROB. THERE WAS NOTHING THE FO COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS. THEY DID NOT CRUSH THE CYLINDER, 'JUST POLISHED THE TIP.' MAINT CHKED THE SKID AND TOOK NO ACTION. THE RPTR NOW REMINDS HIS CAPTS WHEN THIS HVY WT, LOW PWR SIT MIGHT RECUR. THE RPTR SAYS THAT THE CAPT 'IS A SPACE CADET, ALWAYS A LITTLE BEHIND.'

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.