Tailskid strike. - NASA ASRS

Attributes
ACN	97161
Time
Date	198810
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lgb
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 215 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	97161
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Reduced power was used on takeoff made by captain. Acceleration was normal approaching V1/vr and at vr normal rotation was made. Runway surface was very rough and just prior to rotation aircraft hit a series of very hard bumps which continued until after vr was reached. Just prior to liftoff aircraft hit another hard bump which caused tailskid to contact runway surface, shearing bolts and rendering tailskid unable to retract. Flight then continued to destination where normal landing was made. Aircraft was OTS until repaired. Port authority has stated they will move up time table for runway resurfacing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states this was second tailskid incident in a week for his company. Company convinced airport management to inspect runway and it was decided they would move up the repair dates. Company solution is no more reduced power takeoffs and use other runway when possible. Skid sheared from front to back, not vertically, which indicated deep ruts in runway surface were cause, not over-rotation. Crew not charged with over-rotation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAILSKID STRIKE.

Narrative: REDUCED PWR WAS USED ON TKOF MADE BY CAPT. ACCELERATION WAS NORMAL APCHING V1/VR AND AT VR NORMAL ROTATION WAS MADE. RWY SURFACE WAS VERY ROUGH AND JUST PRIOR TO ROTATION ACFT HIT A SERIES OF VERY HARD BUMPS WHICH CONTINUED UNTIL AFTER VR WAS REACHED. JUST PRIOR TO LIFTOFF ACFT HIT ANOTHER HARD BUMP WHICH CAUSED TAILSKID TO CONTACT RWY SURFACE, SHEARING BOLTS AND RENDERING TAILSKID UNABLE TO RETRACT. FLT THEN CONTINUED TO DEST WHERE NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE. ACFT WAS OTS UNTIL REPAIRED. PORT AUTHORITY HAS STATED THEY WILL MOVE UP TIME TABLE FOR RWY RESURFACING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES THIS WAS SECOND TAILSKID INCIDENT IN A WEEK FOR HIS COMPANY. COMPANY CONVINCED ARPT MGMNT TO INSPECT RWY AND IT WAS DECIDED THEY WOULD MOVE UP THE REPAIR DATES. COMPANY SOLUTION IS NO MORE REDUCED POWER TKOFS AND USE OTHER RWY WHEN POSSIBLE. SKID SHEARED FROM FRONT TO BACK, NOT VERTICALLY, WHICH INDICATED DEEP RUTS IN RWY SURFACE WERE CAUSE, NOT OVER-ROTATION. CREW NOT CHARGED WITH OVER-ROTATION.

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.