A B727 RETURNS TO DCA AFTER TKOF WHEN FLC WAS ALERTED BY CABIN ATTENDANT THAT THERE HAD BEEN A POSSIBLE TAIL STRIKE ON TKOF.

Narrative

SHORTLY AFTER TKOF FROM DCA RWY 36; THE AFT FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED HEARING OR FEELING A SCRAPING NOISE AT ROTATION. SUSPECTED POSSIBLE TAIL STRIKE. POM PROC FOLLOWED. NO INDICATIONS OF POSSIBLE DAMAGE; IE; NO TAILSKID LIGHT; PRESSURIZATION WAS NORMAL. FLT CTL CONTACTED AND ALL AGREED; PER THE POM; WE SHOULD RETURN TO DCA. LINE CHK AIRMAN (I WAS RECEIVING AN IOE) MADE UNEVENTFUL LNDG IN DCA. NO DAMAGE FOUND. MAINT SIGNED OFF ACFT OK FOR SVC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 394606: WE WERE FAIRLY CERTAIN NO EXTENSIVE DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED SINCE THE TAIL SKID IN TRANSIT LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED AND THE PRESSURIZATION WAS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. WE ELECTED TO HOLD IN ORDER TO BURN DOWN TO OUR MAX LNDG WT INSTEAD OF DUMPING OR LNDG OVER GROSS WT ON A FAIRLY SHORT RWY. NO OVERROTATION WAS NOTED ON TKOF AND CLBOUT WAS SHALLOW. HOWEVER; THE ACFT SEEMED HEAVIER THAN THE WT AND BAL RECORD SHOWED. WE ORDERED AN AUDIT OF THE LOAD; BUT IN THE CONFUSION OF PAX AND BAGGAGE RERTES I DON'T BELIEVE THIS TOOK PLACE. AFTER LNDG MAINT INSPECTED THE TAIL SKID -- IT HAD BEEN HIT; BUT WAS WITHIN LIMITS AND RETURNED TO SVC. THE STRIKE WAS NOT OBVIOUS FROM THE FLT DECK AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF NOTIFYING US IN A TIMELY MANNER. THE FLC WOULD HAVE BEEN TEMPTED TO CONTINUE TO ATLANTA HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE FLT ATTENDANT'S DESCRIPTIVE RPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 394938: FLT DEPARTED TO ATL APPROX 3 HRS LATER.