Narrative:

I was the flying pilot to chs. The flight and approach were normal. As we were cleared for the visual approach to runway 33; ATC notified us that we were four miles in-trail of a heavy C-17; caution wake turbulence. We were fully configured and on profile at our final approach speed prior to 500 ft AGL. At 30 ft AGL; the automatic throttles commanded full idle. I began my flare to arrest the descent in attempt to make a smooth landing. At this point I felt a gust of wind and the aircraft began to float. To keep the nose gear from excessive touchdown I maintained backpressure. The main gear touched down but the nose was now slightly higher than normal. During the entire touchdown phase we did not experience any audible noise or any indication that the landing had been abnormal or that there had been a tail strike. It wasn't until the flight attendant called over the interphone to let us know that she heard some scraping sounds from the rear of the aircraft. The wind was 360 degrees at 7 knots according to the current ATIS which was only 20 minutes old at the time of touchdown. The runway heading is 334 degrees. Our approximate landing weight was 73100 pounds. Upon further reflection; the steady quartering headwind combined with the heavy C-17 landing prior to us caused the gust of wind and the additional float resulting in the slightly high pitch attitude; and thus the tail strike. Ensure adequate distance; even possibly greater than 4 NM; behind a heavy aircraft during takeoff or landing phases. Request to extend the downwind/base legs to acquire additional distance between the heavy aircraft ahead of you. Upon flare to touchdown; if a higher than normal pitch attitude is experienced due to either pilot input; or in this situation -- environmental conditions; don't try to maintain the pitch to 'save the landing' but go ahead and push the nose over to ensure there will not be a tail strike.supplemental information from acn 805475: in reflecting on the approach and landing with my first officer; he stated that he felt something of a gust of wind as the mains touched the runway. I then remembered that when we were cleared for the approach; we were 3-4 miles in trail of a heavy C-17 stratolifter. I then derived; that with a wind reported at 360/7; that we encountered some wake turbulence that he left on the runway. Speaking to the ramp agents; they told me of a similar incident recently where the wake off a C-17 slammed a B737 into the ground damaging its nose gear. In light of that realization; I believe the first officer flew the airplane exceptionally well; not letting a wake turbulence event become a larger catastrophe. In conclusion; I believe that the actions of my crew were excellent. This event was virtually unavoidable with the conditions and traffic and I am glad that it only resulted in minor aircraft damage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ERJ SUFFERS A TAIL STRIKE DURING AN ENCOUNTER WITH WAKE TURBULENCE FROM A PRECEDING C-17.

Narrative: I WAS THE FLYING PILOT TO CHS. THE FLIGHT AND APPROACH WERE NORMAL. AS WE WERE CLEARED FOR THE VISUAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 33; ATC NOTIFIED US THAT WE WERE FOUR MILES IN-TRAIL OF A HEAVY C-17; CAUTION WAKE TURBULENCE. WE WERE FULLY CONFIGURED AND ON PROFILE AT OUR FINAL APPROACH SPEED PRIOR TO 500 FT AGL. AT 30 FT AGL; THE AUTO THROTTLES COMMANDED FULL IDLE. I BEGAN MY FLARE TO ARREST THE DESCENT IN ATTEMPT TO MAKE A SMOOTH LANDING. AT THIS POINT I FELT A GUST OF WIND AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO FLOAT. TO KEEP THE NOSE GEAR FROM EXCESSIVE TOUCHDOWN I MAINTAINED BACKPRESSURE. THE MAIN GEAR TOUCHED DOWN BUT THE NOSE WAS NOW SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN NORMAL. DURING THE ENTIRE TOUCHDOWN PHASE WE DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY AUDIBLE NOISE OR ANY INDICATION THAT THE LANDING HAD BEEN ABNORMAL OR THAT THERE HAD BEEN A TAIL STRIKE. IT WASN'T UNTIL THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT CALLED OVER THE INTERPHONE TO LET US KNOW THAT SHE HEARD SOME SCRAPING SOUNDS FROM THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE WIND WAS 360 DEGS AT 7 KNOTS ACCORDING TO THE CURRENT ATIS WHICH WAS ONLY 20 MINUTES OLD AT THE TIME OF TOUCHDOWN. THE RUNWAY HEADING IS 334 DEGS. OUR APPROXIMATE LANDING WEIGHT WAS 73100 LBS. UPON FURTHER REFLECTION; THE STEADY QUARTERING HEADWIND COMBINED WITH THE HEAVY C-17 LANDING PRIOR TO US CAUSED THE GUST OF WIND AND THE ADDITIONAL FLOAT RESULTING IN THE SLIGHTLY HIGH PITCH ATTITUDE; AND THUS THE TAIL STRIKE. ENSURE ADEQUATE DISTANCE; EVEN POSSIBLY GREATER THAN 4 NM; BEHIND A HEAVY AIRCRAFT DURING TAKEOFF OR LANDING PHASES. REQUEST TO EXTEND THE DOWNWIND/BASE LEGS TO ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL DISTANCE BETWEEN THE HEAVY AIRCRAFT AHEAD OF YOU. UPON FLARE TO TOUCHDOWN; IF A HIGHER THAN NORMAL PITCH ATTITUDE IS EXPERIENCED DUE TO EITHER PILOT INPUT; OR IN THIS SITUATION -- ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS; DON'T TRY TO MAINTAIN THE PITCH TO 'SAVE THE LANDING' BUT GO AHEAD AND PUSH THE NOSE OVER TO ENSURE THERE WILL NOT BE A TAIL STRIKE.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 805475: IN REFLECTING ON THE APPROACH AND LANDING WITH MY FIRST OFFICER; HE STATED THAT HE FELT SOMETHING OF A GUST OF WIND AS THE MAINS TOUCHED THE RUNWAY. I THEN REMEMBERED THAT WHEN WE WERE CLEARED FOR THE APPROACH; WE WERE 3-4 MILES IN TRAIL OF A HEAVY C-17 STRATOLIFTER. I THEN DERIVED; THAT WITH A WIND REPORTED AT 360/7; THAT WE ENCOUNTERED SOME WAKE TURBULENCE THAT HE LEFT ON THE RUNWAY. SPEAKING TO THE RAMP AGENTS; THEY TOLD ME OF A SIMILAR INCIDENT RECENTLY WHERE THE WAKE OFF A C-17 SLAMMED A B737 INTO THE GROUND DAMAGING ITS NOSE GEAR. IN LIGHT OF THAT REALIZATION; I BELIEVE THE FIRST OFFICER FLEW THE AIRPLANE EXCEPTIONALLY WELL; NOT LETTING A WAKE TURBULENCE EVENT BECOME A LARGER CATASTROPHE. IN CONCLUSION; I BELIEVE THAT THE ACTIONS OF MY CREW WERE EXCELLENT. THIS EVENT WAS VIRTUALLY UNAVOIDABLE WITH THE CONDITIONS AND TRAFFIC AND I AM GLAD THAT IT ONLY RESULTED IN MINOR AIRCRAFT DAMAGE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.