Narrative:

Shortly after takeoff from dca runway 36, the aft flight attendants reported hearing or feeling a scraping noise at rotation. Suspected possible tail strike. Pom procedure followed. No indications of possible damage, ie, no tailskid light, pressurization was normal. Flight control contacted and all agreed, per the pom, we should return to dca. Line check airman (I was receiving an IOE) made uneventful landing in dca. No damage found. Maintenance signed off aircraft ok for service. Supplemental information from acn 394606: we were fairly certain no extensive damage had occurred since the tail skid in transit light was not illuminated and the pressurization was functioning normally. We elected to hold in order to burn down to our maximum landing weight instead of dumping or landing over gross weight on a fairly short runway. No overrotation was noted on takeoff and climb out was shallow. However, the aircraft seemed heavier than the weight and balance record showed. We ordered an audit of the load, but in the confusion of passenger and baggage rertes I don't believe this took place. After landing maintenance inspected the tail skid -- it had been hit, but was within limits and returned to service. The strike was not obvious from the flight deck and the flight attendants did an excellent job of notifying us in a timely manner. The flight crew would have been tempted to continue to atlanta had it not been for the flight attendant's descriptive report. Supplemental information from acn 394938: flight departed to atl approximately 3 hours later.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 RETURNS TO DCA AFTER TKOF WHEN FLC WAS ALERTED BY CABIN ATTENDANT THAT THERE HAD BEEN A POSSIBLE TAIL STRIKE ON TKOF.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF FROM DCA RWY 36, THE AFT FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED HEARING OR FEELING A SCRAPING NOISE AT ROTATION. SUSPECTED POSSIBLE TAIL STRIKE. POM PROC FOLLOWED. NO INDICATIONS OF POSSIBLE DAMAGE, IE, NO TAILSKID LIGHT, PRESSURIZATION WAS NORMAL. FLT CTL CONTACTED AND ALL AGREED, PER THE POM, WE SHOULD RETURN TO DCA. LINE CHK AIRMAN (I WAS RECEIVING AN IOE) MADE UNEVENTFUL LNDG IN DCA. NO DAMAGE FOUND. MAINT SIGNED OFF ACFT OK FOR SVC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 394606: WE WERE FAIRLY CERTAIN NO EXTENSIVE DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED SINCE THE TAIL SKID IN TRANSIT LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED AND THE PRESSURIZATION WAS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. WE ELECTED TO HOLD IN ORDER TO BURN DOWN TO OUR MAX LNDG WT INSTEAD OF DUMPING OR LNDG OVER GROSS WT ON A FAIRLY SHORT RWY. NO OVERROTATION WAS NOTED ON TKOF AND CLBOUT WAS SHALLOW. HOWEVER, THE ACFT SEEMED HEAVIER THAN THE WT AND BAL RECORD SHOWED. WE ORDERED AN AUDIT OF THE LOAD, BUT IN THE CONFUSION OF PAX AND BAGGAGE RERTES I DON'T BELIEVE THIS TOOK PLACE. AFTER LNDG MAINT INSPECTED THE TAIL SKID -- IT HAD BEEN HIT, BUT WAS WITHIN LIMITS AND RETURNED TO SVC. THE STRIKE WAS NOT OBVIOUS FROM THE FLT DECK AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF NOTIFYING US IN A TIMELY MANNER. THE FLC WOULD HAVE BEEN TEMPTED TO CONTINUE TO ATLANTA HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE FLT ATTENDANT'S DESCRIPTIVE RPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 394938: FLT DEPARTED TO ATL APPROX 3 HRS LATER.

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.