FLC OF A DC9-30 RETURNED TO LAND TO HAVE THE TAIL SKID INSPECTED BY MAINT DUE TO A SUSPECTED TAIL SKID STRIKE.

Narrative

TKOF WT WAS 104700 LBS. MAX FOR RWY 12L WAS 107100 LBS. FOR THIS FLAP/SLAT CONFIGN; SLATS EXTENDED; FLAPS 5 DEGS. WIND WAS 050 DEGS AT 12 KTS GUSTING TO 24 KTS (ATIS RECORDED AT XX55Z). VERT ROTATION 139 KTS. I BEGAN ROTATION AND LIFTED OFF BY V2 145 KTS. I FELT A GUST FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF LIFT AND IAS. I FROZE THE PITCH AT 13-14 DEGS UNTIL THE IAS BEGAN TO INCREASE; THEN CONTINUED ROTATION TO 19 DEGS AND CLBED OUT. TWR RPTED TO US THAT SPARKS WERE OBSERVED FROM OUR TAIL ON LIFTOFF; AND THEN HANDED US OFF TO DEP CTL. AT NO TIME DID THE FO AND I FEEL ANY CONTACT WITH THE RWY. THE FLT ATTENDANT IN AFT JUMP SEAT CONFIRMED A SCRAPING SOUND; SO WE BEGAN RESEARCHING THE COCKPIT OPS MANUAL FOR GUIDANCE. FINDING ONLY THE RPTING PROCS FOR THIS OCCURRENCE; I CALLED OUR DISPATCHER WHO COORDINATED WITH MAINT CTL. THEY DIRECTED A RETURN TO MSP DUE TO LACK OF MAINT AT OUR DEST (YYZ). LNDG WAS MADE AT MSP ABOUT 2000 LBS UNDER MAX LNDG WT. MECHS OBSERVED THAT THE TAIL SKID MECHANISM WAS SCRAPED BUT NOT TRIPPED; AND THE COMPANY THUS CLASSIFIES THIS AS A TAIL SCRAPE; NOT A TAIL STRIKE. SELF ANALYSIS: I DON'T KNOW. I FEEL THAT THE ROTATION RATE WAS ABOUT 3 DEGS PER SECOND; WHICH IS SOP. IF I HAD CONTINUED ROTATION WHEN THE 'SINKET' OCCURRED; I FELT THE DANGER OF STRIKING THE TAIL. THE FLT DATA RECORDER WAS PULLED AND WILL BE ANALYZED AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL TELL THE STORY.