Narrative:

After briefing the captain and setting up the airplane for an autoland to runway 8 at tjsj; ATC cleared flight for visual approach runway 8. Upon intercepting the localizer and approximately 2 NM from GS intercept; the tjsj tower notified us that an MD11 would be taking off prior to our landing. We configured for landing and received normal autoland indications at 1500 ft AGL. Approximately 1/2 - 3/4 NM from the runway the aircraft drifted to the right of centerline. I then disconnected the autoplt and lined up the aircraft for landing. Following this; I began to arrest the rate of descent between 30-40 ft AGL. At the 20 ft audible call; I retarded the thrust levers towards idle. Upon reaching idle; the thrust levers moved forward. I then disconnected the autothrottles by clicking the autothrottle disconnect switch on the thrust levers. I felt we had touched down smoother than normal but the captain said 'we're not down yet.' I then noticed it took an unusual amount of pressure to keep the nosewheel down. The captain began to help me push down on the nose/yoke. We touched down whereupon I engaged the thrust levers and wheel brakes. We came to a stop exiting at taxiway S9. While going through the after landing checklist; I noticed the stabilizer trim indicator showed full nose up. Shortly thereafter; another aircraft reported to the tower that they had seen sparks from our aft lower fuselage during landing. I then informed the captain we may have had a tail strike. Our postflt inspection confirmed we had a tail strike on landing. Because of postflt debriefs with maintenance and flight operations/time constraints; I forgot to annotate in the aircraft logbook the following: tail strike on landing and aircraft drifted right of centerline on autoplt coupled approach. I suspect the nose up aircraft trim coupled with automatic speed brake/spoiler deployment caused a higher than normal nose-up attitude. Additionally; the momentary movement of the thrust levers out of idle before disconnected may have contributed to the excessive nose-up attitude. Supplemental information from acn 709047: an unusual amount of nose high attitude occurred throughout the flare process and was accentuated when the speed brakes deployed. As the captain; I assisted the first officer by using forward pressure on the yoke. The aircraft then nosed downward slightly and began trying to fly again with the speed brakes deployed. A widebody transport took off previously and we probably encountered its jet wash/wake turbulence effects. Finally; an audit for center of gravity purposes could have been performed; but wasn't due to the fact that the aircraft was off-loaded right away upon arrival at the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 EXPERIENCES TAIL STRIKE ON LNDG AT TJSJ.

Narrative: AFTER BRIEFING THE CAPT AND SETTING UP THE AIRPLANE FOR AN AUTOLAND TO RWY 8 AT TJSJ; ATC CLEARED FLT FOR VISUAL APCH RWY 8. UPON INTERCEPTING THE LOC AND APPROX 2 NM FROM GS INTERCEPT; THE TJSJ TWR NOTIFIED US THAT AN MD11 WOULD BE TAKING OFF PRIOR TO OUR LNDG. WE CONFIGURED FOR LNDG AND RECEIVED NORMAL AUTOLAND INDICATIONS AT 1500 FT AGL. APPROX 1/2 - 3/4 NM FROM THE RWY THE ACFT DRIFTED TO THE R OF CTRLINE. I THEN DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND LINED UP THE ACFT FOR LNDG. FOLLOWING THIS; I BEGAN TO ARREST THE RATE OF DSCNT BTWN 30-40 FT AGL. AT THE 20 FT AUDIBLE CALL; I RETARDED THE THRUST LEVERS TOWARDS IDLE. UPON REACHING IDLE; THE THRUST LEVERS MOVED FORWARD. I THEN DISCONNECTED THE AUTOTHROTTLES BY CLICKING THE AUTOTHROTTLE DISCONNECT SWITCH ON THE THRUST LEVERS. I FELT WE HAD TOUCHED DOWN SMOOTHER THAN NORMAL BUT THE CAPT SAID 'WE'RE NOT DOWN YET.' I THEN NOTICED IT TOOK AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF PRESSURE TO KEEP THE NOSEWHEEL DOWN. THE CAPT BEGAN TO HELP ME PUSH DOWN ON THE NOSE/YOKE. WE TOUCHED DOWN WHEREUPON I ENGAGED THE THRUST LEVERS AND WHEEL BRAKES. WE CAME TO A STOP EXITING AT TXWY S9. WHILE GOING THROUGH THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST; I NOTICED THE STABILIZER TRIM INDICATOR SHOWED FULL NOSE UP. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; ANOTHER ACFT RPTED TO THE TWR THAT THEY HAD SEEN SPARKS FROM OUR AFT LOWER FUSELAGE DURING LNDG. I THEN INFORMED THE CAPT WE MAY HAVE HAD A TAIL STRIKE. OUR POSTFLT INSPECTION CONFIRMED WE HAD A TAIL STRIKE ON LNDG. BECAUSE OF POSTFLT DEBRIEFS WITH MAINT AND FLT OPS/TIME CONSTRAINTS; I FORGOT TO ANNOTATE IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK THE FOLLOWING: TAIL STRIKE ON LNDG AND ACFT DRIFTED R OF CTRLINE ON AUTOPLT COUPLED APCH. I SUSPECT THE NOSE UP ACFT TRIM COUPLED WITH AUTO SPD BRAKE/SPOILER DEPLOYMENT CAUSED A HIGHER THAN NORMAL NOSE-UP ATTITUDE. ADDITIONALLY; THE MOMENTARY MOVEMENT OF THE THRUST LEVERS OUT OF IDLE BEFORE DISCONNECTED MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE EXCESSIVE NOSE-UP ATTITUDE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 709047: AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE OCCURRED THROUGHOUT THE FLARE PROCESS AND WAS ACCENTUATED WHEN THE SPD BRAKES DEPLOYED. AS THE CAPT; I ASSISTED THE FO BY USING FORWARD PRESSURE ON THE YOKE. THE ACFT THEN NOSED DOWNWARD SLIGHTLY AND BEGAN TRYING TO FLY AGAIN WITH THE SPD BRAKES DEPLOYED. A WDB TOOK OFF PREVIOUSLY AND WE PROBABLY ENCOUNTERED ITS JET WASH/WAKE TURB EFFECTS. FINALLY; AN AUDIT FOR CTR OF GRAVITY PURPOSES COULD HAVE BEEN PERFORMED; BUT WASN'T DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE ACFT WAS OFF-LOADED RIGHT AWAY UPON ARR AT THE GATE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.