Narrative:

Location: mia runway 9L. Our takeoff for lima had a trim setting of 1.4 north/D which we set and doublechked since it was well away from the usual trim settings for shorter/lighter trips that I fly mostly. When the first officer said rotate, I used my left hand to start back on the yoke and nothing happened with the nose of the aircraft. I applied about twice as much pressure on the yoke as usual and still no nose movement. I took my right hand off the throttles and applied both of them to the yoke and smoothly applied what I would estimate to be 60-70 pounds of pressure to raise the nose into the air. I could have done it with one hand, but it would have taken so much pull that I thought it would not be smooth. I am thinking that something might have been in error with the trim setting we were issued -- unless it is set artificially high to help inhibit tail strikes with flaps 15/00 takeoff. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter heard that the problem with the aircraft was a malfunctioning pitch trim actuator. This system enables the pilot to have a constant feel for moving the controls. This is within the elevator feel system and is sometimes referred to as an elevator feel fault system. He did not inquire about this after takeoff although there is a company mandated program that refers to faults such as questionable takeoff trim settings. It is referred to as a 'trim set audit' and is available on either a verbal basis or through ACARS. As to the implied amount of tail strikes on the A300, the reporter stated that he had heard about it in training, the tail strikes being past history and not being a problem at the time. The issue was raised during the aircraft confign discussion, with a variation of slats/flaps being used for takeoff, either 15 degrees slats/0 degrees of trailing flaps or 15 degrees for both. The tail strikes occurred more frequently on the 15/0 degree slat/flap confign.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A300 PIC FINDS IT VERY DIFFICULT TO ROTATE HIS ACFT, USING BOTH HANDS TO ULTIMATELY LIFT THE NOSE FOR TKOF AT MIA, FL.

Narrative: LOCATION: MIA RWY 9L. OUR TKOF FOR LIMA HAD A TRIM SETTING OF 1.4 N/D WHICH WE SET AND DOUBLECHKED SINCE IT WAS WELL AWAY FROM THE USUAL TRIM SETTINGS FOR SHORTER/LIGHTER TRIPS THAT I FLY MOSTLY. WHEN THE FO SAID ROTATE, I USED MY L HAND TO START BACK ON THE YOKE AND NOTHING HAPPENED WITH THE NOSE OF THE ACFT. I APPLIED ABOUT TWICE AS MUCH PRESSURE ON THE YOKE AS USUAL AND STILL NO NOSE MOVEMENT. I TOOK MY R HAND OFF THE THROTTLES AND APPLIED BOTH OF THEM TO THE YOKE AND SMOOTHLY APPLIED WHAT I WOULD ESTIMATE TO BE 60-70 LBS OF PRESSURE TO RAISE THE NOSE INTO THE AIR. I COULD HAVE DONE IT WITH ONE HAND, BUT IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN SO MUCH PULL THAT I THOUGHT IT WOULD NOT BE SMOOTH. I AM THINKING THAT SOMETHING MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN ERROR WITH THE TRIM SETTING WE WERE ISSUED -- UNLESS IT IS SET ARTIFICIALLY HIGH TO HELP INHIBIT TAIL STRIKES WITH FLAPS 15/00 TKOF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HEARD THAT THE PROB WITH THE ACFT WAS A MALFUNCTIONING PITCH TRIM ACTUATOR. THIS SYS ENABLES THE PLT TO HAVE A CONSTANT FEEL FOR MOVING THE CTLS. THIS IS WITHIN THE ELEVATOR FEEL SYS AND IS SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS AN ELEVATOR FEEL FAULT SYS. HE DID NOT INQUIRE ABOUT THIS AFTER TKOF ALTHOUGH THERE IS A COMPANY MANDATED PROGRAM THAT REFERS TO FAULTS SUCH AS QUESTIONABLE TKOF TRIM SETTINGS. IT IS REFERRED TO AS A 'TRIM SET AUDIT' AND IS AVAILABLE ON EITHER A VERBAL BASIS OR THROUGH ACARS. AS TO THE IMPLIED AMOUNT OF TAIL STRIKES ON THE A300, THE RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD HEARD ABOUT IT IN TRAINING, THE TAIL STRIKES BEING PAST HISTORY AND NOT BEING A PROB AT THE TIME. THE ISSUE WAS RAISED DURING THE ACFT CONFIGN DISCUSSION, WITH A VARIATION OF SLATS/FLAPS BEING USED FOR TKOF, EITHER 15 DEGS SLATS/0 DEGS OF TRAILING FLAPS OR 15 DEGS FOR BOTH. THE TAIL STRIKES OCCURRED MORE FREQUENTLY ON THE 15/0 DEG SLAT/FLAP CONFIGN.

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.