A CRJ200 had a tail strike after the Captain used only aerodynamic braking and thrust reverse to stop the very light aircraft.
Synopsis
A CRJ200 had a tail strike after the Captain used only aerodynamic braking and thrust reverse to stop the very light aircraft.
Narrative
This was a revenue flight with 15 passengers where I was the pilot flying. Conditions were VMC with Approach entering us on a downwind and clearing us for a visual approach on a base leg. The approach was stable and unspectacular with the thermals requiring small corrections to maintain the flight path. We landed just after the touchdown zone where upon I applied aerodynamic braking; keeping the nose wheel off the ground; and thrust reversers; no brakes. We pulled off the runway and taxied to the gate without any realization that there had been a tail strike. This being discovered only after the First Officer had completed his walk around when he saw the scrape marks on the tail by the aft equipment bay door. He did not remember seeing it when he did his preflight walk-around prior to this flight; so the only conclusion I could make from this was that it occurred since we departed. I asked the Flight Attendant if she felt or heard anything different upon landing - she said she had not. There was no indication upon landing that there had been a tail strike (no vibration; noise; shaker etc); however I did note and tell the First Officer that something seemed 'different' during the rollout. This 'different' was due to the nose of the aircraft nose not 'dropping' by itself as it normally does. After some thinking on the way to the gate; I put this down to the aircraft being so light with only 15 passengers in the cabin and did not think much more about this until after the First Officer informed me of the tail strike. The tail strike occurred due to excessive pitch while doing aerodynamic braking upon landing; which may not have been helped by being light and possibly more tail heavy than usual. The only thing that I can think of to help prevent this situation from occurring again would be for more information being presented as to the problems and highlight the dangers of using aerodynamic braking on modern airline transport aircraft. This is certainly prevalent in the airline industry (at least it seems so in my airline); but no one talks; highlights the dangers or sets the limits (e.g. what pitch angle will cause a tail strike) which would/may have prevented this accident from happening.
Second reporter narrative
I was the First Officer and pilot not flying. The flight occurred without issue; until the landing phase. After completing a visual to Runway 4 from a left base; we touched down normally. The Captain held the nose off; seemingly utilizing aerodynamic braking. Something appeared different; but I did not grasp it then. There were no noises or abnormal vibrations. I was distracted while trying to figure out what indeed was different; and I missed my '80 knots' call by a few knots. As speed bled off; the nose-wheel came down and we exited the runway normally. Thinking that it was just a landing with good aerodynamic braking; I was impressed and said something like; 'that was cool'. (Knowing now what had really occurred; I do not think it was cool). A bit confused; the Captain and I discussed what the difference in feel may have been; and he attributed it to our light landing weight. During my post-flight walk-around I saw bare metal near the aft equipment bay door. I then returned into the plane and notified the Captain; and he proceeded outside to investigate further. He informed Maintenance; and wrote up the maintenance log for a tail strike. After the fact; it was decided that the Captain's use of thrust reversers prior to the nose touching down likely contributed to the tail strike. I as a pilot not flying should have known better; and called him out on this; and avoided a tail strike. There was a new revision in our flight manual warning of such actions; however neither myself nor my Captain were aware of it at the time. Personally; I make an attempt to learn all the new changes; however I'm just not sure how we can possibly identify; understand; and remember all of the seemingly constant additions/changes/deletions we receive.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.