B757 FLT CREW HAS TAIL STRIKE DURING TKOF RWY 1R SFO.
Synopsis
B757 FLT CREW HAS TAIL STRIKE DURING TKOF RWY 1R SFO.
Narrative
TKOF FROM RWY 1R SFO. WIND 310 DEGS; 8 KTS; L TO R XWIND. TKOF WT WITHIN 300 LBS OF THE PLAN; WELL BELOW ASSUMED TKOF WT. V-SPDS: 145 KTS; 148 KTS; 150 KTS; STANDARD PWR SET. DURING TKOF ROLL; HAD L AILERON INTO THE WIND AND R RUDDER PRESSURE TO KEEP ACFT ON RWY CTRLINE; ROTATION WAS AT 148 KTS. DURING ROTATION THERE WAS A BUMP THAT I ASSOCIATED WITH THE NOSEWHEEL COMING OFF THE RWY AND THE MAIN MOUNTS SCUFFING/SCRUBBING ON THE RWY FROM THE 'WING LOW; TOP RUDDER' SLIP AND XING THE CROWNED SURFACES OF THE INTERSECTING RWYS 28L AND RWY 28R. THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED TO SAY THAT SOME PAX HAD BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT A BUMP ON TKOF; CONVERSATION WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE BACK OF THE ACFT AND THEN THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT UP FRONT WHO SAID THAT IT FELT AS THOUGH WE HAD GONE OVER A POT HOLE; LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT MY INITIAL ANALYSIS OF THE 'SKID/SCUFF/XING RWY 28L/R' SCENARIO WAS CORRECT. FOLLOWING COCKPIT CONVERSATION BTWN MYSELF; THE FO (WHO BROUGHT UP THE QUESTION OF TAIL CONTACT WITH THE RWY); AND THE JUMPSEATER WHO MENTIONED THE LATEST RESURFACING OF ONE OF THE 28 RWYS MAKING THE RWY 1'S/RWY 28'S INTXNS MORE PRONOUNCED THAN IN THE PAST. I BELIEVED ALL WAS WELL; AND CONTINUED ON TO DEST. THE FO FELT UNCOMFORTABLE AND WANTED TO MAKE A POSTFLT INSPECTION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 697735: AS THE PNF; I MADE THE NORMAL 80 KT; V1 AND ROTATE CALLOUTS. AT VR; THE ACFT WAS ROTATED IN A MANNER THAT WAS A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN I HAD EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST. UPON LIFTOFF I FELT AN UNUSUAL SENSATION I WOULD DESCRIBE AS A 'THUD.' I IMMEDIATELY FELT WE HAD IMPACTED THE RWY WITH THE TAIL OF THE ACFT. DURING GEAR RETRACTION; I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE ALSO FELT WE HAD DRAGGED THE TAIL. HE SAID HE FELT THE SENSATION WAS CAUSED BY THE SCRUBBING OF THE MAIN GEAR WHEELS AS WE TRANSITIONED TO FLT IN THE XWIND. HE ALSO FELT THE CROWN IN THE INTXN OF RWYS 1R AND RWY 28L/R CONTRIBUTED TO THE SENSATION. I SUGGESTED WE ASK THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE AFT OF THE ACFT WHAT THEY FELT. THE CAPT COMMUNICATED VIA CABIN INTERPHONE AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY ALSO FELT SOMETHING UNUSUAL AT LIFTOFF. I PULLED OUT THE TAIL STRIKE CHKLIST FOR REVIEW IN THE EVENT WE WOULD BE RETURNING TO SFO. THE CAPT WAS CONVINCED THAT WE HAD NOT IMPACTED THE RWY WITH THE TAIL AND DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON TO MIA. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT. ONCE THE ACFT WAS PARKED AND SECURED AT THE GATE IN MIA; I IMMEDIATELY PROCEEDED TO THE TAIL OF THE ACFT AND FOUND OBVIOUS EVIDENCE OF A TAIL STRIKE. I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND NOTIFIED THE CAPT.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.