Incident Overview
A Boeing 747 cargo airplane experienced a tail strike during takeoff from Anchorage, Alaska, after a scheduled fuel stop. The aircraft was refueled with approximately 100,000 pounds of fuel for the final leg of its flight to Travis Air Force Base. The tail struck the runway during departure, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft.
Crew Actions and Investigation
A postaccident investigation determined that the flight crew inadvertently used the same performance cards that had been used for the previous landing. They failed to account for the weight of the additional fuel loaded during the stop. As a result, the takeoff performance calculations were incorrect, leading to insufficient tail clearance during rotation.
Aftermath
The crew remained unaware that the tail had struck the runway until after arrival at Travis Air Force Base. The aircraft subsequently underwent inspection and repair for the damage sustained.