Narrative:

During departure on flight with 122 passenger and 7 crew members on board, at a takeoff gross weight of 118800 pounds from runway 21C in dtw, configured to flaps 5 degrees with 0% overspd, I made the takeoff following sopa and smac procedures at a normal rate of rotation of 3 degrees per second. The first officer and myself heard a strange noise just as the aircraft had lifted off after climb out. I turned to the first officer and asked him if he had also heard the strange noise. He said yes, and that it sounded like the nose gear. I also suspected the nose gear because the aircraft seemed to require slightly more control pressure during initial rotation. Once the nose became unstuck, the rotation felt normal. After climbing through 10000 ft approximately 15 mins into the flight, one of the aft station flight attendants came to the cockpit and said that he had heard a noise on takeoff. I then said it might have been a noise associated with the nose gear. He then said he thought it came from the tail of the aircraft, so I thanked him for the information and told him I would look into after we landed. After landing, I inspected the tail and saw that the tail bumper had been scraped, but the indicator safety wire had not been broken. I then made an aircraft logbook entry, and had it reported to maintenance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9-50 ACFT ON TKOF ROTATION HIT TAIL SKID.

Narrative: DURING DEP ON FLT WITH 122 PAX AND 7 CREW MEMBERS ON BOARD, AT A TKOF GROSS WT OF 118800 LBS FROM RWY 21C IN DTW, CONFIGURED TO FLAPS 5 DEGS WITH 0% OVERSPD, I MADE THE TKOF FOLLOWING SOPA AND SMAC PROCS AT A NORMAL RATE OF ROTATION OF 3 DEGS PER SECOND. THE FO AND MYSELF HEARD A STRANGE NOISE JUST AS THE ACFT HAD LIFTED OFF AFTER CLBOUT. I TURNED TO THE FO AND ASKED HIM IF HE HAD ALSO HEARD THE STRANGE NOISE. HE SAID YES, AND THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE THE NOSE GEAR. I ALSO SUSPECTED THE NOSE GEAR BECAUSE THE ACFT SEEMED TO REQUIRE SLIGHTLY MORE CTL PRESSURE DURING INITIAL ROTATION. ONCE THE NOSE BECAME UNSTUCK, THE ROTATION FELT NORMAL. AFTER CLBING THROUGH 10000 FT APPROX 15 MINS INTO THE FLT, ONE OF THE AFT STATION FLT ATTENDANTS CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND SAID THAT HE HAD HEARD A NOISE ON TKOF. I THEN SAID IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A NOISE ASSOCIATED WITH THE NOSE GEAR. HE THEN SAID HE THOUGHT IT CAME FROM THE TAIL OF THE ACFT, SO I THANKED HIM FOR THE INFO AND TOLD HIM I WOULD LOOK INTO AFTER WE LANDED. AFTER LNDG, I INSPECTED THE TAIL AND SAW THAT THE TAIL BUMPER HAD BEEN SCRAPED, BUT THE INDICATOR SAFETY WIRE HAD NOT BEEN BROKEN. I THEN MADE AN ACFT LOGBOOK ENTRY, AND HAD IT RPTED TO MAINT.

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.