Mechanic found tail skid damage on air carrier large transport parked at gate.

Attributes
ACN	89348
Time
Date	198806
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4300 flight time type : 2150
ASRS Report	89348
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

This was the only leg my crew flew aircraft. After arrival at tul, maintenance informed me that damage to the tail skid and aft airstair ventral had been discovered during a subsequent preflight. I was questioned whether my actions or the actions of my crew on flight could have resulted in the subject damage. My first officer flew the segment from ord to tul. During this flight I observed no irregularities or abnormalities. Both the takeoff rotation and landing flare were observed to be normal and did not achieve excessive deck angle. The second officer stated he conducted a routine standard preflight at ord and did not notice any aircraft damage. The cause of the subject damage is unknown. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: damage was probably not done on this trip as aft cabin attendant felt nothing and usually they are the first to know tail strike in this model large transport. Appears the cover plate over the tail skid split and flew back and caused the damage to ventral stair. Reporter almost certain they did not drag, based on attitude at T/D. His flight manager is satisfied not this flight crew's fault and feels they are victims.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MECHANIC FOUND TAIL SKID DAMAGE ON ACR LGT PARKED AT GATE.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE ONLY LEG MY CREW FLEW ACFT. AFTER ARR AT TUL, MAINT INFORMED ME THAT DAMAGE TO THE TAIL SKID AND AFT AIRSTAIR VENTRAL HAD BEEN DISCOVERED DURING A SUBSEQUENT PREFLT. I WAS QUESTIONED WHETHER MY ACTIONS OR THE ACTIONS OF MY CREW ON FLT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE SUBJECT DAMAGE. MY F/O FLEW THE SEGMENT FROM ORD TO TUL. DURING THIS FLT I OBSERVED NO IRREGULARITIES OR ABNORMALITIES. BOTH THE TKOF ROTATION AND LNDG FLARE WERE OBSERVED TO BE NORMAL AND DID NOT ACHIEVE EXCESSIVE DECK ANGLE. THE S/O STATED HE CONDUCTED A ROUTINE STANDARD PREFLT AT ORD AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY ACFT DAMAGE. THE CAUSE OF THE SUBJECT DAMAGE IS UNKNOWN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: DAMAGE WAS PROBABLY NOT DONE ON THIS TRIP AS AFT CABIN ATTENDANT FELT NOTHING AND USUALLY THEY ARE THE FIRST TO KNOW TAIL STRIKE IN THIS MODEL LGT. APPEARS THE COVER PLATE OVER THE TAIL SKID SPLIT AND FLEW BACK AND CAUSED THE DAMAGE TO VENTRAL STAIR. RPTR ALMOST CERTAIN THEY DID NOT DRAG, BASED ON ATTITUDE AT T/D. HIS FLT MGR IS SATISFIED NOT THIS FLT CREW'S FAULT AND FEELS THEY ARE VICTIMS.

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