Narrative:

We were held high for conflicting traffic and ended up with a steep final. However, we were definitely in the slot approaching the runway. Power up, airspeed stabilized at 140 KIAS, sink rate 800 FPM, and VASI red over white. Spoilers were armed -- I normally land with spoilers armed. The touchdown was very smooth however, because I always thought that it was impossible to bounce an A300 with spoilers armed. The bounce was slight so I didn't try to make a second landing, I just held the same attitude and let the aircraft settle by itself with no attempt to cushion the second touchdown. The second and final touchdown was a bit firm but still within the realm of being normal. After touchdown the spoilers deployed and the nose pitched up, which it normally does with spoilers armed, however, it pitched up much more rapidly than normal. This surprised me and I guess I was a bit slow to react. The result was that the tailskid kissed the runway. I say kissed, because I was totally unaware that the skid had contacted the runway. The only way I found out was that a flight attendant riding aft reported hearing a scraping sound during the landing rollout. After gate arrival, we inspected the skid and noted that about 2 inches of paint had been scraped off. I wrote it up. The maintenance signoff indicated that the only corrective action required was to touch up the skid with paint. I learned 2 things from this experience: 1) an A300 can bounce with spoilers armed. 2) the normal slight pitch-up on spoiler deployment becomes much more pronounced after recovering from a bounce.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN A300 AIRBUS MOMENTARILY LOST VERT ACFT CTL DURING LNDG WHEN THE ACFT BOUNCED AND THEN LANDED HARD WITH A HIGH PITCH ATTITUDE STRIKING THE TAILSKID.

Narrative: WE WERE HELD HIGH FOR CONFLICTING TFC AND ENDED UP WITH A STEEP FINAL. HOWEVER, WE WERE DEFINITELY IN THE SLOT APCHING THE RWY. PWR UP, AIRSPD STABILIZED AT 140 KIAS, SINK RATE 800 FPM, AND VASI RED OVER WHITE. SPOILERS WERE ARMED -- I NORMALLY LAND WITH SPOILERS ARMED. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS VERY SMOOTH HOWEVER, BECAUSE I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO BOUNCE AN A300 WITH SPOILERS ARMED. THE BOUNCE WAS SLIGHT SO I DIDN'T TRY TO MAKE A SECOND LNDG, I JUST HELD THE SAME ATTITUDE AND LET THE ACFT SETTLE BY ITSELF WITH NO ATTEMPT TO CUSHION THE SECOND TOUCHDOWN. THE SECOND AND FINAL TOUCHDOWN WAS A BIT FIRM BUT STILL WITHIN THE REALM OF BEING NORMAL. AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE SPOILERS DEPLOYED AND THE NOSE PITCHED UP, WHICH IT NORMALLY DOES WITH SPOILERS ARMED, HOWEVER, IT PITCHED UP MUCH MORE RAPIDLY THAN NORMAL. THIS SURPRISED ME AND I GUESS I WAS A BIT SLOW TO REACT. THE RESULT WAS THAT THE TAILSKID KISSED THE RWY. I SAY KISSED, BECAUSE I WAS TOTALLY UNAWARE THAT THE SKID HAD CONTACTED THE RWY. THE ONLY WAY I FOUND OUT WAS THAT A FLT ATTENDANT RIDING AFT RPTED HEARING A SCRAPING SOUND DURING THE LNDG ROLLOUT. AFTER GATE ARR, WE INSPECTED THE SKID AND NOTED THAT ABOUT 2 INCHES OF PAINT HAD BEEN SCRAPED OFF. I WROTE IT UP. THE MAINT SIGNOFF INDICATED THAT THE ONLY CORRECTIVE ACTION REQUIRED WAS TO TOUCH UP THE SKID WITH PAINT. I LEARNED 2 THINGS FROM THIS EXPERIENCE: 1) AN A300 CAN BOUNCE WITH SPOILERS ARMED. 2) THE NORMAL SLIGHT PITCH-UP ON SPOILER DEPLOYMENT BECOMES MUCH MORE PRONOUNCED AFTER RECOVERING FROM A BOUNCE.

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.