TAIL SKID WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES DURING CLB.

Narrative

THE TKOF FROM RWY 4 AT LGA WAS NORMAL. AT ABOUT 3500 FT DURING AN ATC VECTOR TOWARD W; THE SO INFORMED THE CAPT THAT THE TAIL SKID WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CAPT AND THE SO THEN PROCEEDED TO REVIEW THE ABNORMAL PROC FOR A TAIL SKID WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INFLT. I CONTINUED TO MONITOR ATC AND THE ACFT'S FLT PATH. EVEN THOUGH THE COCKPIT CREW COULD NOT BELIEVE A TAIL SKID STRIKE MAY HAVE CAUSED THE MALFUNCTION; THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE ASKED IF THEY HAD NOTICED ANYTHING UNUSUAL DURING THE TKOF. A FLT ATTENDANT SEATED IN THE REAR JUMPSEAT SAID SHE HAD HEARD A LOUD NOISE DURING LNDG GEAR RETRACTION. THE EXACT NATURE OF THE MALFUNCTION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED INFLT; SO THE COCKPIT CREW FOLLOWED THE PROC FOR A TAIL SKID STRIKE EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS NOT THE SUSPECTED REASON FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THIS WAS A SHUTTLE FLT TO DCA SO THERE WASN'T VERY MUCH TIME TO DO ANYTHING EXCEPT COMPLY WITH THE ABNORMAL PROC AND INFORM THE COMPANY BY RADIO. ON POST-FLT INSPECTION; THE TAIL SKID WAS DETACHED FROM THE CRUSH CANISTER; CRUSH CANISTER WAS INTACT AND THE TAIL SKID RUBBING BLOCK WAS MISSING. THE RIVETS THAT HOLD THE TAIL SKID TO THE CRUSH CANISTER WERE SHEARED. IT DID NOT LOOK LIKE A TAIL SKID STRIKE BUT RATHER A FAILURE OF THE ASSEMBLY. THE ACFT HAD HAD A TAIL SKID INSPECTION 2 WKS PRIOR DUE TO A LOGBOOK WRITE-UP AND HAD A NEW RUBBING BLOCK INSTALLED 1 WK PRIOR TO THIS EVENT. ATC AT LGA WAS INFORMED OF POSSIBLE MISSING PIECES AND SWEPT THE RWY. NO PARTS WERE FOUND.