AIRLINE CREW HAD TAILSKID STRIKE ON TKOF. INFLT INABILITY TO PRESSURIZE CAUSED LNDG AT ENRTE ARPT.

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ON TKOF AT BDL WHEN THE GEAR HANDLE WAS MOVED TO UP THE TAILSKID LIGHT CAME ON. FLT ATTENDANTS AT THE REAR OF THE ACFT RPTED HEARING AN UNFAMILIAR NOISE. THE COCKPIT CREW CONTACTED THE COMPANY DISPATCHER AND MAINT BY RADIO. THEIR ADVICE WAS TO CONTINUE TO DEST; ORD. AS THE ACFT CLBED THROUGH 17000 FT THE CABIN BEGAN TO CLB AT A SLOW BUT UNCONTROLLABLE RATE. THE ACFT WAS THEN DSNDED TO 8000 FT AND THE CABIN PRESSURE STABILIZED. DISPATCH AND MAINT WERE AGAIN CONTACTED; AND THE FLT WAS DIVERTED TO CLE. AFTER LNDG; EXAMINATION OF THE TAILSKID SHOWED THAT THE CRUSHABLE CYLINDER HAD COME OUT OF ITS HOUSING AND THAT THE SKID PLATE HAD BEEN SHEARED OFF THE TAILSKID. THE SKID PLATE WAS LATER FOUND ON THE RWY AT BDL. TKOF ROTATION RATE; ANGLE; AND SPD ALL APPEARED NORMAL. THE TAILSKID CARTRIDGE DID NOT CRUSH AS IT IS DESIGNED TO DO WHEN THE TAILSKID STRIKES THE RWY. I THINK THAT A MECHANICAL FAILURE CAUSED THE CARTRIDGE TO FALL FROM ITS HOUSING DURING TKOF; FURTHER CAUSING THE STRIKE PLATE TO SHEAR OFF. NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE PRESSURE HULL WAS FOUND AFTER LNDG; AND THE REASON FOR LOSS OF CABIN PRESSURE HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 451766: THE ACFT WAS ON THE TKOF ROLL WITH THE NOSE AT ABOUT 8-10 DEGS NOSE UP ATTITUDE (NORMAL). THE AIRSPD HAD JUST PASSED VR WHEN THE ACFT WENT THROUGH THE INTXN (ACTIVE RWY 24). THE STRUTS COMPRESSED AS THE ACFT HIT A RIDGE OR BUMP AND THE TAILSKID HIT MOMENTARILY. THERE WAS NO INCREASE IN NOSE-UP ATTITUDE THAT WOULD HAVE INDUCED A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. I BELIEVE THIS RWY HAS A RIDE OR BUMP; THAT IF HIT WITH A HIGH GROSS WT AS OURS (170000 LBS) ACFT; COULD AND WILL CAUSE A TAILSKID STRIKE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATED DURING CALLBACK THAT THERE HAD BEEN A COMPANY INVESTIGATION OF THE INCIDENT. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS PROBABLY NOT AN OVER ROTATION ON TKOF AND THAT THERE IS A BUMP IN THE RWY INTXN THAT WAS THE LOCATION OF THE ROTATION. WHEN THE HVY GROSS WT OF THE ACFT WAS CONSIDERED IT WAS THOUGHT THAT THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE COMPRESSION OF THE MAIN STRUTS AND THE RESULTING TAIL STRIKE. ALONG WITH THE MISSING TAILSKID PARTS WHICH WERE RECOVERED THERE WAS A RWY CTRLINE REFLECTOR CLIPPED OFF. THE FLT ATTENDANT RPTING UNUSUAL NOISE ON TKOF RPTED ON A SINGLE THUMP NOT A DRAGGING SOUND. IN REGARD TO THE LOSS OF PRESSURIZATION THERE HAS BEEN NO DETERMINATION OF THE CAUSE. THERE IS A HISTORY OF PRESSURIZATION AND DOOR SEAL PROBS ON THIS INDIVIDUAL ACFT. RPTR AS AN ASIDE COMPLAINED OF POOR COVERAGE AT LOW ALT OF THE COMMERCIAL RADIO NETWORK WHICH MADE COORD WITH THE COMPANY DIFFICULT.