Evidence of lower aft fuselage damage is found on a through flight inspection with no evidence of gr...

Attributes
ACN	573915
Time
Date	200302
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Rain
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
ASRS Report	573915
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	572769
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

We turned final and were cleared ILS runway 8L cyvr. The ceiling was approximately 3700 ft broken. We broke out early in the approach and continued visually to the runway. The captain called for flaps within aircraft limitations. During the approach, the aircraft maintained localizer and at one point was slightly above the GS until it was slowed down. The approach speed on final was +/-5 KTS, and the captain seemed aware and was correcting for airspeed deviations. We crossed the threshold on speed on localizer on glide path with engines spooled. For a brief second after crossing the runway threshold, the aircraft leveled off and then continued towards the runway. I do not recall the exact ht the power was removed, but it felt a little higher than usual. The aircraft was flared and the pitch attitude was approximately 9 degrees at touchdown. The landing was very smooth and the speed break and thrust reversers deployed normally during touchdown and rollout. We taxied in, completed the appropriate checklists, and bid the passenger farewell. Many of the passenger commented on the smooth flight and landing. None of the flight attendants or passenger commented on hearing or feeling anything during the landing. At approximately XA30 I went to do my preflight walkaround. When I got towards the aft fuselage, my walkaround path was forced under the aircraft due to the positioning of ground equipment. I did not want to walk out in the middle of the active ramp to get around some vehicles. At that time I noticed scratch marks on the under side of the aircraft approximately 13 ft from the tail strike plate. I immediately went to check the tail strike plate and saw no indications of contact. I completed the remainder of my walkaround and brought the marks to the captain's attention. He then went out to look at the marks. We briefly discussed the matter and decided to call maintenance. The flight was then canceled. Both the captain and I were unsure if we had caused the damage or if it came from a previous flight. We had no indications that the aircraft had contacted the runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EVIDENCE OF LOWER AFT FUSELAGE DAMAGE IS FOUND ON A THROUGH FLT INSPECTION WITH NO EVIDENCE OF GND CONTACT BY THE TAIL STRIKE PLATE ON A B737-400.

Narrative: WE TURNED FINAL AND WERE CLRED ILS RWY 8L CYVR. THE CEILING WAS APPROX 3700 FT BROKEN. WE BROKE OUT EARLY IN THE APCH AND CONTINUED VISUALLY TO THE RWY. THE CAPT CALLED FOR FLAPS WITHIN ACFT LIMITATIONS. DURING THE APCH, THE ACFT MAINTAINED LOC AND AT ONE POINT WAS SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE GS UNTIL IT WAS SLOWED DOWN. THE APCH SPD ON FINAL WAS +/-5 KTS, AND THE CAPT SEEMED AWARE AND WAS CORRECTING FOR AIRSPD DEVS. WE CROSSED THE THRESHOLD ON SPD ON LOC ON GLIDE PATH WITH ENGS SPOOLED. FOR A BRIEF SECOND AFTER XING THE RWY THRESHOLD, THE ACFT LEVELED OFF AND THEN CONTINUED TOWARDS THE RWY. I DO NOT RECALL THE EXACT HT THE PWR WAS REMOVED, BUT IT FELT A LITTLE HIGHER THAN USUAL. THE ACFT WAS FLARED AND THE PITCH ATTITUDE WAS APPROX 9 DEGS AT TOUCHDOWN. THE LNDG WAS VERY SMOOTH AND THE SPD BREAK AND THRUST REVERSERS DEPLOYED NORMALLY DURING TOUCHDOWN AND ROLLOUT. WE TAXIED IN, COMPLETED THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS, AND BID THE PAX FAREWELL. MANY OF THE PAX COMMENTED ON THE SMOOTH FLT AND LNDG. NONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS OR PAX COMMENTED ON HEARING OR FEELING ANYTHING DURING THE LNDG. AT APPROX XA30 I WENT TO DO MY PREFLT WALKAROUND. WHEN I GOT TOWARDS THE AFT FUSELAGE, MY WALKAROUND PATH WAS FORCED UNDER THE ACFT DUE TO THE POSITIONING OF GND EQUIP. I DID NOT WANT TO WALK OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ACTIVE RAMP TO GET AROUND SOME VEHICLES. AT THAT TIME I NOTICED SCRATCH MARKS ON THE UNDER SIDE OF THE ACFT APPROX 13 FT FROM THE TAIL STRIKE PLATE. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO CHK THE TAIL STRIKE PLATE AND SAW NO INDICATIONS OF CONTACT. I COMPLETED THE REMAINDER OF MY WALKAROUND AND BROUGHT THE MARKS TO THE CAPT'S ATTN. HE THEN WENT OUT TO LOOK AT THE MARKS. WE BRIEFLY DISCUSSED THE MATTER AND DECIDED TO CALL MAINT. THE FLT WAS THEN CANCELED. BOTH THE CAPT AND I WERE UNSURE IF WE HAD CAUSED THE DAMAGE OR IF IT CAME FROM A PREVIOUS FLT. WE HAD NO INDICATIONS THAT THE ACFT HAD CONTACTED THE RWY.

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.

Evidence of lower aft fuselage damage is found on a through flight inspection with no evidence of ground contact by the tail strike plate on a B737-400.