Tail strike on takeoff of 727.

Attributes
ACN	310920
Time
Date	199507
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hvn
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	310920
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Copilot was making the takeoff. Aircraft was marginal average weight of 160000 pounds, rotate speed about 155 KTS. WX was not a factor, winds were light. Copilot's rotation was a little quick, but not overly so. I was watching outside line-up when rotation commenced. As the nose popped up quicker than I expected, I looked inside at gyroscope. We were passing 10 degrees nose-up as the mains started to break ground. His rotation got us straight to about 13 degrees nose- up. I didn't feel or hear anything, nor did tower say anything to us, so we continued a normal departure. 1/2 hour into the flight (over pmn) we received a dispatch ACARS message asking about a tail strike on departure. All 3 of us in the cockpit felt nothing, however, I interphoned the aft flight attendant. She said she heard a small scrape. We radioed dispatch and he and I concurred to have it inspected on arrival den. At den, tailskid showed no signs of a strike. The clip was still intact, as was all the grease on the skid. I discussed rotations and target pitch with my copilot for his future considerations. I myself will pay more inside attention, especially with newer coplts. Until recently most flying has been with more experienced coplts so my vigilance has been different.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAIL STRIKE ON TKOF OF 727.

Narrative: COPLT WAS MAKING THE TKOF. ACFT WAS MARGINAL AVERAGE WT OF 160000 LBS, ROTATE SPD ABOUT 155 KTS. WX WAS NOT A FACTOR, WINDS WERE LIGHT. COPLT'S ROTATION WAS A LITTLE QUICK, BUT NOT OVERLY SO. I WAS WATCHING OUTSIDE LINE-UP WHEN ROTATION COMMENCED. AS THE NOSE POPPED UP QUICKER THAN I EXPECTED, I LOOKED INSIDE AT GYROSCOPE. WE WERE PASSING 10 DEGS NOSE-UP AS THE MAINS STARTED TO BREAK GND. HIS ROTATION GOT US STRAIGHT TO ABOUT 13 DEGS NOSE- UP. I DIDN'T FEEL OR HEAR ANYTHING, NOR DID TWR SAY ANYTHING TO US, SO WE CONTINUED A NORMAL DEP. 1/2 HR INTO THE FLT (OVER PMN) WE RECEIVED A DISPATCH ACARS MESSAGE ASKING ABOUT A TAIL STRIKE ON DEP. ALL 3 OF US IN THE COCKPIT FELT NOTHING, HOWEVER, I INTERPHONED THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT. SHE SAID SHE HEARD A SMALL SCRAPE. WE RADIOED DISPATCH AND HE AND I CONCURRED TO HAVE IT INSPECTED ON ARR DEN. AT DEN, TAILSKID SHOWED NO SIGNS OF A STRIKE. THE CLIP WAS STILL INTACT, AS WAS ALL THE GREASE ON THE SKID. I DISCUSSED ROTATIONS AND TARGET PITCH WITH MY COPLT FOR HIS FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS. I MYSELF WILL PAY MORE INSIDE ATTN, ESPECIALLY WITH NEWER COPLTS. UNTIL RECENTLY MOST FLYING HAS BEEN WITH MORE EXPERIENCED COPLTS SO MY VIGILANCE HAS BEEN DIFFERENT.

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.