TAIL STRIKE IN A B737-800 DURING A ROTATION RATE THAT APPEARED TO INCREASE SLIGHTLY AT TKOF AT DFW; TX.

Narrative

FOLLOWING A NORMAL START AND TAXI THROUGH THE TKOF RUN; EXPERIENCED A TAIL STRIKE DURING A LIFTOFF FROM THE RWY. WINDS AT THE TIME WERE 090 DEGS AT 9 KTS (ATIS). WINDS SEEMED GUSTY DURING TKOF ROLL. ROTATION RATE SEEMED TO START OUT NORMALLY BUT INCREASED SLIGHTLY AT LIFTOFF WITH NO ADDITIONAL FORCE APPLIED. I HEARD A MUFFLED NOISE AT THE SAME TIME. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF; THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED FORWARD TO SAY SHE THOUGHT SHE HAD HEARD A NOISE AND ALSO THOUGHT THE TAIL HAD HIT THE GND. WHILE THE CAPT COORDINATED COMPLETION OF THE ABNORMAL PROC WITH THE COMPANY (MAINT); I COORDINATED WITH ATC TO RETURN TO DFW. RETURN FLT AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. MAINT INSPECTION REVEALED SCRAPED PAINT ON TAILSKID BUT NOTED NO OTHER DAMAGE TO TAILSKID UNIT. ACFT WAS INSPECTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH MAINT PROCS; RELEASED FOR FLT AND RE-DISPATCHED TO SLC. DURING FOLLOWING TKOF; CAPT NOTED THE NOSE SEEMED TO WANT TO ROTATE FASTER THAN NORMAL. POSTFLT LOAD AUDIT WAS CONDUCTED AND REVEALED CARGO WAS 500 LBS HEAVIER THAN INDICATED. MAINT RESULTS OF STABILIZER INSPECTION ARE PENDING.