View Full Version : Tailstrike on departure
Out of interest what could the possible probelms be if you had a tailstrike just after rotation?
Dave Gittins
1st Apr 2005, 11:38
It seems a strange question to ask the way it is posed. A bit like "what would the possible problem be if your car hit a brick wall".
The obvious response is How Hard ??? (or a lawyer's response might be "It all depends")
The effects (without any mention of the cause) could be "nothing" for the lightest of brushes ..... to as catastrophic as happened to an MK Airlines 747 at Halifax.
Rainboe
1st Apr 2005, 12:06
Bearing in mind you would be almost certainly completely unaware,
-damage to rear fuselage appendages, like tailskid
-if quite hard, there is the worry that damage may be significant. This may well be in the area of the rear pressure bulkhead- which doesn't take kindly to any damage of any sort.
A case of 'do not proceed past go- get inspected immediately. Do not pressurise'.
Rear cabin crew will almost certainly be aware! Normally they will hear a loud grinding noise under their feet. Assuming you are one of those captains who actually speaks/listens to the crew they will tell you.:eek:
There is an emergency drill for it on most aircraft which will sort out a less-than catastrophic strike.