Narrative:

Shortly after my touchdown at lax, runway 25L, the tailskid of the aircraft made ground contact. Conditions were normal for a night landing. WX was VMC, runway dry, wind 320 degrees/20 KTS, and temperature 55 degrees F. Aircraft weight was approximately 262000 pounds, 30 degree flaps were used with autospoilers armed and autobrakes off. The approach was normal and the aircraft was in trim early in the approach with no trim added in the landing flare. Power was slightly above flight idle on touchdown, with a small increase of manual elevator input on flare. After a smooth landing, the nose pitched up slightly and light tailskid contact occurred (tailskid compression indicator did not extend) airspeed was at vref of 136 KTS on touchdown. An additional note I feel may be significant. My copilot and I discovered evidence of a previous tailstrike on preflight at jfk. The aircraft was inspected at that time with no damage found. Maintenance decided to defer repainting the tailskid until the aircraft overnighted. Although the elevator input was added on flare, the aircraft was stabilized and I did not sense it was overly excessive. At no time were inputs applied in an abrupt manner. I have a small question in my mind as to whether this particular aircraft may respond unusually to nominal control inputs (evidence of previous tailstrike for example). In retrospect, I feel I should have accepted a firmer landing and more aggressively lowered the nose of the aircraft after touchdown.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 ACFT AFTER TOUCHDOWN PITCHED UP SLIGHTLY AND ENOUGH TO CONTACT THE TAILSKID. THE TAILSKID HAD BEEN SCRAPED PRIOR TO THIS FLT BUT NOT SERIOUS ENOUGH TO REPAIR. RPTR SUSPECTS THE ACFT HAS A PITCH-UP TENDENCY.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER MY TOUCHDOWN AT LAX, RWY 25L, THE TAILSKID OF THE ACFT MADE GND CONTACT. CONDITIONS WERE NORMAL FOR A NIGHT LNDG. WX WAS VMC, RWY DRY, WIND 320 DEGS/20 KTS, AND TEMP 55 DEGS F. ACFT WT WAS APPROX 262000 LBS, 30 DEG FLAPS WERE USED WITH AUTOSPOILERS ARMED AND AUTOBRAKES OFF. THE APCH WAS NORMAL AND THE ACFT WAS IN TRIM EARLY IN THE APCH WITH NO TRIM ADDED IN THE LNDG FLARE. PWR WAS SLIGHTLY ABOVE FLT IDLE ON TOUCHDOWN, WITH A SMALL INCREASE OF MANUAL ELEVATOR INPUT ON FLARE. AFTER A SMOOTH LNDG, THE NOSE PITCHED UP SLIGHTLY AND LIGHT TAILSKID CONTACT OCCURRED (TAILSKID COMPRESSION INDICATOR DID NOT EXTEND) AIRSPD WAS AT VREF OF 136 KTS ON TOUCHDOWN. AN ADDITIONAL NOTE I FEEL MAY BE SIGNIFICANT. MY COPLT AND I DISCOVERED EVIDENCE OF A PREVIOUS TAILSTRIKE ON PREFLT AT JFK. THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED AT THAT TIME WITH NO DAMAGE FOUND. MAINT DECIDED TO DEFER REPAINTING THE TAILSKID UNTIL THE ACFT OVERNIGHTED. ALTHOUGH THE ELEVATOR INPUT WAS ADDED ON FLARE, THE ACFT WAS STABILIZED AND I DID NOT SENSE IT WAS OVERLY EXCESSIVE. AT NO TIME WERE INPUTS APPLIED IN AN ABRUPT MANNER. I HAVE A SMALL QUESTION IN MY MIND AS TO WHETHER THIS PARTICULAR ACFT MAY RESPOND UNUSUALLY TO NOMINAL CTL INPUTS (EVIDENCE OF PREVIOUS TAILSTRIKE FOR EXAMPLE). IN RETROSPECT, I FEEL I SHOULD HAVE ACCEPTED A FIRMER LNDG AND MORE AGGRESSIVELY LOWERED THE NOSE OF THE ACFT AFTER TOUCHDOWN.

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.