FLC OF MLG ACR ACFT OBSERVED A BENT VENT MAST UNDER THE ACFT TAIL DURING PREFLT INDICATING AN ACFT TAIL STRIKE DURING A TKOF OR LNDG RESULTING IN THE GNDING OF THE ACFT AND THE FLC REMOVED FROM FLT STATUS.

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I FLEW FLT FROM IND TO CLE ON APR/MON/92. THE FO FLEW BOTH TKOF AND LNDG. AFTER ARR AT CLE AT GATE; THE ONCOMING CREW DISCOVERED THE VENT MAST ON THE REAR OF THE ACFT WAS SCRAPED AND BENT. I DID THE PREFLT IN IND AND DID NOT NOTICE IT. ON ARR IN CLE A LINE MECH DID A POST-FLT AND DID NOT DISCOVER THE DAMAGE. BOTH OUR TKOF AND LNDG APPEARED NORMAL FOR A LIGHTLY LOADED 88000 ACFT. THE BOTTOM OF THE MAST WAS SCRAPED AND BENT ABOUT 12-15 DEGS TO THE L. IT WAS HARD TO SEE ANY DAMAGE UNLESS YOU WERE UNDER THE VENT LOOKING STRAIGHT UP. I PERSONALLY FEEL THE DAMAGE OCCURRED DURING THE DOUBLE TKOF AT ORANGE COUNTY ARPT; CA; THIS MORNING. THE ACFT FLEW FROM ORANGE COUNTY TO DEN TO IND TO CLE; AT LEAST 2 DIFFERENT CREWS DID PREFLTS AT DEN AND IND AND 2 POST-FLTS WERE DONE AT DEN AND CLE BY MECHS WITHOUT NOTICE OF THE DAMAGE. THE FACT THAT ACFT HAD A MEL'ED FLAP PLATE MISSING PROBABLY FOCUSED MY PERSONAL ATTN IN THAT AREA DURING THE PREFLT AT IND. I SUGGEST THAT MAINT AND THE OPERATORS STRESS THIS ITEM ON PREFLT AND PUBLISH ACCURATE BODY ANGLES ON TKOF AND LNDG AT ALL FLAP SETTING AND WTS WHERE CONTACT IS POSSIBLE. THIS HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES ON TKOFS AT ORANGE COUNTY AND SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO BY THE FAA. THIS TKOF TECHNIQUE IS ONLY USED BECAUSE OF NOISE CONSTRAINTS AT THIS ONE ARPT; AND IT IS NOT A PREFERRED WAY TO OPERATE ANY ACFT DURING THE MOST CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT; TKOF. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 208794: OUR CREW DID NOT MAKE THIS CONTACT WITH THE RWY DURING OUR FLT. HOWEVER; SINCE WE FAILED TO DISCOVER THIS ON OUR PREFLT IN IND; WE WERE RESPONSIBLE! THE CAPT AND I WERE REMOVED FROM FLT STATUS PENDING OUTCOME OF INVESTIGATION WHICH INVOLVED DRUG AND BLOOD ALCOHOL TESTS ON FLC AND EXAMINATION AT OUR REQUEST OF ACFT FLT DATA RECORDER. IT TURNED OUT THAT A WITNESS SAW THE RWY CONTACT OCCUR THAT SAME MORNING ON A DEP FROM SNA (ANOTHER STORY!) ON A FLT FROM SNA TO DEN. THE DEN-IND CREW ALSO MISSED THIS ON THEIR PREFLT. MORAL: PREFLT YOUR ACFT DEFENSIVELY. THE CAREER YOU SAVE MAYBE YOUR OWN!