On November 25, 1994, a Boeing 757-24APF (registration N413UP) was involved in an aviation accident near Tulsa, OK. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN VREF DURING APPROACH AND HIS IMPROPER FLARE TOUCHDOWN THAT RESULTED IN AN EXCESSIVE PITCH UP ATTITUDE FOLLOWING TOUCHDOWN. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 7 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During landing, an aircraft's tail struck the runway. The pilot and operator described the approach as normal, but flight data recorder analysis revealed the aircraft decelerated to Vref-8 before touchdown and floated for 8 seconds. After touchdown, the pilot increased pitch attitude to 10.9 degrees, exceeding the manufacturer's limit of 10.5 degrees with landing gear compressed, leading to the tail strike.
Incident Description
During the landing phase, the aircraft's tail struck the runway. The pilot and the operator classified the approach as normal until after touchdown. However, subsequent analysis of the flight data recorder provided additional details.
Flight Data
The flight data recorder indicated that the aircraft decelerated to Vref minus 8 knots before touchdown and floated for 8 seconds. After touchdown, the pilot allowed the pitch attitude to increase to 10.9 degrees.
Manufacturer Guidance
The aircraft manufacturer's instructions state that if the pitch attitude surpasses 10.5 degrees with the landing gear compressed, the tail will strike the runway.
Pilot History
The pilot had a history of experimenting with aerodynamic braking during landings.
