Captain of a B727 struck tailskid during takeoff (tailskid strike).

Attributes
ACN	404946
Time
Date	199806
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
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 pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 315 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	404946
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	404120
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On takeoff roll at main gear lift-off the tailskid contacted the runway surface. Contributing factors include: 1) 90 degree crosswind at 11 KTS gusting to 14 KTS. 2) maximum gross weight for aircraft. 3) intersection takeoff -- shortened runway. As the main gear left the ground the aircraft rotated slightly as crosswind corrections on the controls were adjusted to compensate for the loss of the leveling effect of wheels on the ground. This produced a slight corkscrew effect which allowed the tailskid to impact the surface of the runway at the low point. Because the aircraft was fully loaded to maximum takeoff weight, this was apparently enough to allow for the strike to occur. Slight damage occurred to the tailskid. The flight returned to chicago, a precautionary emergency was declared as an overweight landing was made. The xwinds were variable throughout the takeoff roll.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A B727 STRUCK TAILSKID DURING TKOF (TAILSKID STRIKE).

Narrative: ON TKOF ROLL AT MAIN GEAR LIFT-OFF THE TAILSKID CONTACTED THE RWY SURFACE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE: 1) 90 DEG XWIND AT 11 KTS GUSTING TO 14 KTS. 2) MAX GROSS WT FOR ACFT. 3) INTXN TKOF -- SHORTENED RWY. AS THE MAIN GEAR LEFT THE GND THE ACFT ROTATED SLIGHTLY AS XWIND CORRECTIONS ON THE CTLS WERE ADJUSTED TO COMPENSATE FOR THE LOSS OF THE LEVELING EFFECT OF WHEELS ON THE GND. THIS PRODUCED A SLIGHT CORKSCREW EFFECT WHICH ALLOWED THE TAILSKID TO IMPACT THE SURFACE OF THE RWY AT THE LOW POINT. BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS FULLY LOADED TO MAX TKOF WT, THIS WAS APPARENTLY ENOUGH TO ALLOW FOR THE STRIKE TO OCCUR. SLIGHT DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE TAILSKID. THE FLT RETURNED TO CHICAGO, A PRECAUTIONARY EMER WAS DECLARED AS AN OVERWT LNDG WAS MADE. THE XWINDS WERE VARIABLE THROUGHOUT THE TKOF ROLL.

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.