TAILSKID STRIKE ON TKOF OVER ROTATION.

Date: 1995-03 · Aircraft: B727-200 · Phase: takeoff

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|conflict-ground-conflict|critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|other-unspecified

Synopsis

TAILSKID STRIKE ON TKOF OVER ROTATION.

Narrative

DURING TAXI OUT FOR TKOF; THE CAPT'S SEAT ADJUSTMENT WOULD NOT COMFORTABLY LOCK IN. FO TAXIED ACFT WHILE CAPT CONTINUED TO TRY AND ADJUST. WE FELL BEHIND ON CHKLISTS; BUT DID GET EVERYTHING DONE PRIOR TO TKOF. CAPT MADE TKOF BUT WAS NOT MENTALLY PREPARED TO THINK 'SLOW ROTATION' FOR OUR REDUCED EPR; 5 DEGS FLAP; MID-WT TKOF. A QUICK ROTATION RESULTED IN A SCRAPING OF TAILSKID WITHOUT DAMAGE TO ACFT. AS A SENIOR FO; I COULD HAVE MADE A QUICK COMMENT AS TO ROTATION RATE; BUT 'BEHIND THE ACFT' WAS THE KEY FACTOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS AN FO ON THE B-727-200 FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR. HIS ACR HAS 5 DIFFERENT MODELS OF THE B-727-200. THIS PARTICULAR ACFT HAS SMALL ENGS THAT LIMITS ITS PERFORMANCE ON HVY WT TKOFS. THE RPTR HAS BEEN FLYING WITH MANY NEW CAPTS THAT HAVE COME FROM HIGHER PERFORMANCE ACFT. THEY NEED TO BE REMINDED OF THE LOWER PERFORMANCE OF THE 727. THE CAPT ACQUIRED 'TUNNEL VISION OVER THE SEAT PROB' AND APPARENTLY FORGOT ABOUT THE HVY WT ROTATION PROB. THERE WAS NOTHING THE FO COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS. THEY DID NOT CRUSH THE CYLINDER; 'JUST POLISHED THE TIP.' MAINT CHKED THE SKID AND TOOK NO ACTION. THE RPTR NOW REMINDS HIS CAPTS WHEN THIS HVY WT; LOW PWR SIT MIGHT RECUR. THE RPTR SAYS THAT THE CAPT 'IS A SPACE CADET; ALWAYS A LITTLE BEHIND.'

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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.