Narrative:

My leg as captain. Normal start, taxi out and checklist completion from ord gate to runway 32R. We were cleared for takeoff, winds reported 270 degrees at 13 KTS gusting to 26 KTS (I think -- I do recall noting that we were within envelope). Takeoff roll was normal though considerable left rudder was required to maintain centerline above 100 KTS. Between rotation and liftoff, aircraft encountered a strong wind gust from the left and began drifting right. I rotated rather aggressively to ensure we were fully airborne before departing runway to the right. Supplemental information from acn 635326: as the captain rotated, the aircraft shifted to the right. It almost seemed as if the airplane settled a bit. He continued his rotation and we climbed out normally. It was very rough until 4000 ft. About 45 mins or so into flight, the aft flight attendant called and told us he heard a scraping sound on takeoff. He said it wasn't very loud, and no passenger had said anything about hearing it. We contacted dispatch and had a phone patch with dispatch and maintenance. It was concluded that there was no reason to land so we continued. Upon arrival we inspected the tail. There were marks on the aft lavatory drain mast, APU cooling door, and APU drain mast. Supplemental information from acn 635396: after the flight was completed, it was brought to my attention that the reference for a tail strike was found in the 'normals' section of the airbus flight manual, and contained information regarding procedures for a definitive tail strike on an airbus.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 TAKING OFF IN A GUSTY XWIND EXPERIENCED A TAIL STRIKE UPON ROTATION.

Narrative: MY LEG AS CAPT. NORMAL START, TAXI OUT AND CHKLIST COMPLETION FROM ORD GATE TO RWY 32R. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF, WINDS RPTED 270 DEGS AT 13 KTS GUSTING TO 26 KTS (I THINK -- I DO RECALL NOTING THAT WE WERE WITHIN ENVELOPE). TKOF ROLL WAS NORMAL THOUGH CONSIDERABLE L RUDDER WAS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN CTRLINE ABOVE 100 KTS. BTWN ROTATION AND LIFTOFF, ACFT ENCOUNTERED A STRONG WIND GUST FROM THE L AND BEGAN DRIFTING R. I ROTATED RATHER AGGRESSIVELY TO ENSURE WE WERE FULLY AIRBORNE BEFORE DEPARTING RWY TO THE R. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 635326: AS THE CAPT ROTATED, THE ACFT SHIFTED TO THE R. IT ALMOST SEEMED AS IF THE AIRPLANE SETTLED A BIT. HE CONTINUED HIS ROTATION AND WE CLBED OUT NORMALLY. IT WAS VERY ROUGH UNTIL 4000 FT. ABOUT 45 MINS OR SO INTO FLT, THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND TOLD US HE HEARD A SCRAPING SOUND ON TKOF. HE SAID IT WASN'T VERY LOUD, AND NO PAX HAD SAID ANYTHING ABOUT HEARING IT. WE CONTACTED DISPATCH AND HAD A PHONE PATCH WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS NO REASON TO LAND SO WE CONTINUED. UPON ARR WE INSPECTED THE TAIL. THERE WERE MARKS ON THE AFT LAVATORY DRAIN MAST, APU COOLING DOOR, AND APU DRAIN MAST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 635396: AFTER THE FLT WAS COMPLETED, IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN THAT THE REF FOR A TAIL STRIKE WAS FOUND IN THE 'NORMALS' SECTION OF THE AIRBUS FLT MANUAL, AND CONTAINED INFO REGARDING PROCS FOR A DEFINITIVE TAIL STRIKE ON AN AIRBUS.

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.