AN ACR B757 FLC HITS THE TAIL SKID DURING THE TOUCHDOWN OR LNDG ROLL. THE FLC ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE TOUCHDOWN WAS FIRM AND THAT THE NOSE WAS HIGH ON INITIAL ROLLOUT.

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WE WERE FLYING THE RIVER VISUAL RWY 18 APCH INTO DCA AT NIGHT IN VFR CONDITIONS. AFTER BEING CLRED FOR THE VISUAL BY ATC WE ESTABLISHED OURSELVES ON THE LDA 18 WHICH WAS IN THE FMC. THE ACFT WAS STABLE AND IN A LNDG CONFIGN BY THE FINAL APCH FIX. STANDARD CALLOUTS WERE MADE BY ME; THE PNF; AS PER COMPANY POLICY. WE CROSSED THE DME ARCS AT THE PROPER ALTS AND PICKED UP THE VASI SHOWING US TO BE ON GLIDEPATH. AS WE TURNED TO LINE UP WITH THE RWY WE WERE VERY SLIGHTLY HIGH. WE LANDED IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE WITH A FIRM; BUT NOT HARD LNDG. AT THIS TIME; I TOLD THE PF THAT THE NOSE WAS HIGH AS HE WAS HOLDING IT TO KEEP THE NOSE FROM COMING DOWN HARD. HE RELEASED SOME BACK PRESSURE EVENTUALLY LOWERING THE NOSE TO THE GND GOING INTO REVERSE AND MAKING A NORMAL TURN OFF THE RWY. WE WERE INFORMED THE NEXT DAY ON THAT LNDG THAT A TAIL STRIKE HAD OCCURRED. ON DEPLANING THE PREVIOUS NIGHT; NO ONE -- NOT 1 PAX OR FLT ATTENDANT -- HAD COMMENTED ON THE LNDG BEING HARD OR OF HEARING A TAIL STRIKE. I BELIEVE THE CAPT; AFTER THE FIRM LNDG; WAS TRYING TO KEEP THE NOSE FROM COMING DOWN HARD AND SIMPLY PULLED BACK TOO MUCH TO KEEP THE NOSE UP; THUS CAUSING THE TAIL STRIKE. AT THE MOMENT I SAID NOSE HIGH; IT OCCURRED SO QUICKLY I COULD NOT HAVE STOPPED THE NOSE PITCH UP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 369939: I FLARED AT 20 FT; I DID NOT 'HOLD.' THE ACFT OFF THE RWY AND TOUCHED DOWN WITH A FIRM LNDG; BUT NOT HARD; WITHIN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE. THERE WAS NO BOUNCE. JUST AFTER TOUCHDOWN; THE FO SAID 'NOSE HIGH.' I ALSO NOTICED THIS AND SLIGHTLY RELEASED BACK PRESSURE.