AN ACR B727 FLC MAKING A NEAR MAX GROSS WT TKOF WITH A QUARTERING TAILWIND HAD A TAILSTRIKE WHEN THEIR ROTATION ANGLE WAS TOO GREAT. THEY PERFORMED THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS; DUMPED FUEL AND RETURNED TO THE ARPT.

Narrative

DURING TKOF IN ATL ON RWY 8R; AT 6000 LBS LESS THAN MAX STRUCTURAL GROSS WT; THE TAILSKID STRUCK THE RWY AT APPROX 10.4 DEGS OF PITCH. THE WINDS WERE RPTED AT 180 DEGS AT 7 KTS; WITH THE WIND DIRECTION VARYING FROM 150 DEGS TO 230 DEGS. DURING THE START OF THE ROTATION; THE ELEVATOR FELT A LITTLE HVY; BUT NOT TOO HVY TO MAKE A NORMAL RATE OF ROTATION. DUE TO THE HVY WT OF THE ACFT AND THE VARIABLE WINDS; I MADE A SLOWER THAN NORMAL ROTATION. HOWEVER; THE ACFT ATTAINED A PITCH OF GREATER THAN 10 DEGS PRIOR TO LIFTOFF; AT WHICH TIME THE TAILSKID DRUG ON THE RWY. I BELIEVE THAT THE TAILSTRIKE COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF I HAD PLACED MORE EMPHASIS ON ROTATING AT A SLOWER RATE -- TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE VERY HVY TKOF WT AND THE VARIABLE WINDS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 397782: SO HEARD A SCRAPING NOISE DURING ROTATION AND MENTIONED TO CREW AFTER SAFELY AIRBORNE. CORRESPONDING AMBER 'TAILSKID' LIGHT ON SO'S PANEL. PERFORMED 'TAIL STRIKE DURING TKOF' ABNORMAL PROC FROM MANUAL. DUMPED 20000 LBS OF FUEL WITH ATC COORD AND RETURNED TO ATL FOR UNEVENTFUL LNDG. TAILSKID 'HOOK POINT' WAS SCRAPED OFF AND TAILSKID TELESCOPING STRUT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN COMPRESSED 1 1/2 INCHES. TAILSKID INSPECTION CLIP WAS UNDAMAGED. ACFT APPEARED TO NOT HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY DAMAGED.