PEI_3721
16th Nov 2006, 21:04
A recent AAIB investigation (http://www.aaib.gov.uk/publications/bulletins/november_bulletin/avro_146_rj100__g_cfah.cfm) reported a minor tail scrape during landing.
The Operator’s Flight Operations Manual provided advice to crews on possible reasons for a scrape – The most common cause of a tail strike on landing is a fast approach. This leads to a prolonged time in the flare, followed by a rapidly increasing ground closure rate.
This appears to be unusual advice as higher speeds are normally associated with lower body angles, from which it is assumed there is more tail clearance during (a long) landing. If a high RoD were to be the cause then much greater damage can be expected; this was not the case.
Can any ARJ operators elaborate on the reasons / advice about speed?
There is also an inconsistency in the report which concludes A high rate of descent developed which the commander attempted to reduce by increasing the flare which caused the aircraft fuselage to exceed the body contact angle of 6.9º causing minor damage to the tail strike protection plate. However the manufacturer states that a scrape is only likely at pitch angles above 8 deg with a descent of 10ft/sec.
Although the incident landing was ‘firm’ (high FDR ‘g’ levels do not equate to a heavy landing) the pitch angle was only 7 deg at a calculated 8 ft/sec (480 ft/min – and my interpretation of the FDR only gives 6 ft/sec), thus based on this geometry and dynamics, a scrape was unlikely.
Any ARJ operators with a view?
The Operator’s Flight Operations Manual provided advice to crews on possible reasons for a scrape – The most common cause of a tail strike on landing is a fast approach. This leads to a prolonged time in the flare, followed by a rapidly increasing ground closure rate.
This appears to be unusual advice as higher speeds are normally associated with lower body angles, from which it is assumed there is more tail clearance during (a long) landing. If a high RoD were to be the cause then much greater damage can be expected; this was not the case.
Can any ARJ operators elaborate on the reasons / advice about speed?
There is also an inconsistency in the report which concludes A high rate of descent developed which the commander attempted to reduce by increasing the flare which caused the aircraft fuselage to exceed the body contact angle of 6.9º causing minor damage to the tail strike protection plate. However the manufacturer states that a scrape is only likely at pitch angles above 8 deg with a descent of 10ft/sec.
Although the incident landing was ‘firm’ (high FDR ‘g’ levels do not equate to a heavy landing) the pitch angle was only 7 deg at a calculated 8 ft/sec (480 ft/min – and my interpretation of the FDR only gives 6 ft/sec), thus based on this geometry and dynamics, a scrape was unlikely.
Any ARJ operators with a view?