B727-200 SUFFERS TAIL STRIKE ON TKOF. CAPT HAD ADJUSTED STABILIZER TRIM DURING A SLOWER THAN EXPECTED ROTATION TO EASE NOSE HVY TENDENCY.

Narrative

TKOF ON RWY 8 AT SJU. TAILSKID LIGHT STAYED ON AFTER GEAR RETRACTION. SINCE NO THUMP OR ANY OTHER INDICATION WAS OBSERVED DURING ROTATION; THIS LIGHT WAS A SURPRISE AND CONSIDERED A FAULTY INDICATION PROB AND NOT AN ACTUAL TAILSKID STRIKE WITH THE RWY. NONETHELESS; THE TAILSKID PORTION OF THE ABNORMAL PROCS CHKLIST WAS INITIATED AS A PRECAUTIONARY PROC (AFT LAVATORY WATER SUPPLY SHUTOFF; ETC) AND FUEL BURN ENRTE WAS CLOSELY MONITORED. (NOTE: FUEL BURN DID NOT INCREASE 10% AS IF THE TAILSKID WAS DOWN AND DAMAGED -- FUEL USAGE NORMAL.) ALSO; FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED COCKPIT AND SAID THEY FELT A BUMP AT LIFTOFF. HOWEVER; THERE ARE 2 BUMPS AT END OF RWY 8 AND THESE CALLS ARE ACTUALLY CUSTOMARY. SINCE WE FELT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING; WE DISMISSED THE IDEA OF AN ACTUAL TAILSKID STRIKE. ACFT WAS LOADED WITH ABOVE NORMAL FORWARD CTR OF GRAVITY (7 UNITS AFT TRIM VERSUS NORMAL 5 - 5 1/2 AFT TRIM). FLT CONTINUED TO EWR TOTALLY UNEVENTFUL. UPON LNDG IN EWR; TAILSKID BLOCK WAS MISSING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 358539: AFTER VR PLUS; ABOUT MIDWAY THROUGH THE ROTATION; THE TKOF WARNING HORN SOUNDED. THE ACFT WAS VERY NEAR MAX STRUCTURAL WT AND WAS SLOW TO LIFTOFF. AFTER TKOF THE CAUSE OF THE HORN WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE STABILIZER TRIM OUT OF LIMITS TOWARD AFT. THE CAPT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS VERY NOSE HVY DURING THE ROTATION; SO HE RAN THE TRIM BACK TO EASE THE YOKE PRESSURE. SINCE ROTATION WAS VERY SMOOTH AND WELL CTLED; WE CONSIDERED THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN MISLOADED (EITHER TOO HVY OR CTR OF GRAVITY MISCALCULATED).