Narrative:

On flight from ord to dtw tailskid would not stay fully retracted. After landing at dtw we inspected aircraft for possible tailstrike. No damage found. Put item in maintenance log. The next 2 days we were accused of having a tailstrike. This was reported in a maintenance meeting. The crew was told they would have to have a check ride or line check. After 2 days it was finally determined there was no tailstrike and we were told to disregard the whole incident. Supplemental information from acn 305839: completed trip to dtw, finishing with an IFR approach. At gate, examination of tailskid revealed no marks on skid plate and ring at base of skid was not broken. Maintenance logbook entry was made. Called by msp chief pilot following morning and told that I had hit tailskid. Explained to him that we had examined tailskid and believed no impact had occurred, also had 15 yrs in aircraft. I had been on skid strikes both as first officer and so, also there had been no 'call' from the aft flight attendants which usually accompanies any skid strike. I added that I knew the aircraft was a 200 with dash 7 engines and therefore I used a slower rate of rotation. I was then called the morning of may/xx/95, the following morning by the dtw chief pilot and told that we had in fact had a tailstrike. I once again explained the situation and my experience on the aircraft and with tailstrikes and told him that I didn't believe that we had one. Later that day, I was called by dtw chief pilot and told that the mechanism that retracts the skid had malfunctioned, causing damage to the skid. We/I had not hit the skid upon rotation. I guess that I am dismayed that my 'bosses' didn't believe me as a professional pilot with yrs of training and experience who has worked for 2 [part] 121 carriers, with over 15 yrs of commercial experience and 6 yrs of military experience, who has run the obstacle course of 2 interview processes, with no incidents, never calls in sick, and graduated from annapolis. I don't hit my dog or wife, either and yet I am supposed to now view any type of inquiry with skepticism, run to the union and/or get a lawyer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAILSKID WOULD NOT RETRACT ON TKOF. ON LNDG NO DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH A TAILSTRIKE COULD BE FOUND. BUT THE CREW WAS ACCUSED OF A TAILSTRIKE.

Narrative: ON FLT FROM ORD TO DTW TAILSKID WOULD NOT STAY FULLY RETRACTED. AFTER LNDG AT DTW WE INSPECTED ACFT FOR POSSIBLE TAILSTRIKE. NO DAMAGE FOUND. PUT ITEM IN MAINT LOG. THE NEXT 2 DAYS WE WERE ACCUSED OF HAVING A TAILSTRIKE. THIS WAS RPTED IN A MAINT MEETING. THE CREW WAS TOLD THEY WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A CHK RIDE OR LINE CHK. AFTER 2 DAYS IT WAS FINALLY DETERMINED THERE WAS NO TAILSTRIKE AND WE WERE TOLD TO DISREGARD THE WHOLE INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 305839: COMPLETED TRIP TO DTW, FINISHING WITH AN IFR APCH. AT GATE, EXAMINATION OF TAILSKID REVEALED NO MARKS ON SKID PLATE AND RING AT BASE OF SKID WAS NOT BROKEN. MAINT LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS MADE. CALLED BY MSP CHIEF PLT FOLLOWING MORNING AND TOLD THAT I HAD HIT TAILSKID. EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT WE HAD EXAMINED TAILSKID AND BELIEVED NO IMPACT HAD OCCURRED, ALSO HAD 15 YRS IN ACFT. I HAD BEEN ON SKID STRIKES BOTH AS FO AND SO, ALSO THERE HAD BEEN NO 'CALL' FROM THE AFT FLT ATTENDANTS WHICH USUALLY ACCOMPANIES ANY SKID STRIKE. I ADDED THAT I KNEW THE ACFT WAS A 200 WITH DASH 7 ENGS AND THEREFORE I USED A SLOWER RATE OF ROTATION. I WAS THEN CALLED THE MORNING OF MAY/XX/95, THE FOLLOWING MORNING BY THE DTW CHIEF PLT AND TOLD THAT WE HAD IN FACT HAD A TAILSTRIKE. I ONCE AGAIN EXPLAINED THE SIT AND MY EXPERIENCE ON THE ACFT AND WITH TAILSTRIKES AND TOLD HIM THAT I DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT WE HAD ONE. LATER THAT DAY, I WAS CALLED BY DTW CHIEF PLT AND TOLD THAT THE MECHANISM THAT RETRACTS THE SKID HAD MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE SKID. WE/I HAD NOT HIT THE SKID UPON ROTATION. I GUESS THAT I AM DISMAYED THAT MY 'BOSSES' DIDN'T BELIEVE ME AS A PROFESSIONAL PLT WITH YRS OF TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE WHO HAS WORKED FOR 2 [PART] 121 CARRIERS, WITH OVER 15 YRS OF COMMERCIAL EXPERIENCE AND 6 YRS OF MIL EXPERIENCE, WHO HAS RUN THE OBSTACLE COURSE OF 2 INTERVIEW PROCESSES, WITH NO INCIDENTS, NEVER CALLS IN SICK, AND GRADUATED FROM ANNAPOLIS. I DON'T HIT MY DOG OR WIFE, EITHER AND YET I AM SUPPOSED TO NOW VIEW ANY TYPE OF INQUIRY WITH SKEPTICISM, RUN TO THE UNION AND/OR GET A LAWYER.

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.