I have no idea if that is what happened but my thoughts are:
Were there birds?
Did the crew suspect a bird strike?
Did the crew suspect a tail-strike?
I would suggest that as this was not an immediate return maybe he crew had no idea about the tail-strike. Maybe they found out a bit later via a passenger or witness report?
As I said above, the elements of the actual incident don't concern CASA, what is important in their mind is that:
- The event is reported to the company. (Shows an open reporting culture)
- Once received, the report is escalated and mandatory reporting requirements are met such as the ATSB, CASA won't be involved at this stage.
- An investigation is carried out either internally or externally (or both) so that root causes are identified and can be remedied via new procedures or crew training.
Picking apart the crew actions in detail without all of the information is both unhelpful and unprofessional. Just wait for the report.