What happened
A Boeing 747 cargo aircraft was conducting a scheduled flight with a fuel stop in Anchorage, Alaska, intended as the final leg of a journey to Travis Air Force Base. During the refueling process in Anchorage, approximately 100,000 lbs. of fuel were added to the aircraft. While performing the takeoff from Anchorage, the tail of the airplane struck the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe.
The flight crew remained unaware that the tail strike had occurred during the flight. The impact was not identified until after the aircraft had arrived at its destination, Travis AFB.