BA A350 tail strike at LHR
 

Surprised nobody picked up on this yet.

https://simpleflying.com/oops-britis...w-tail-strike/

I think that’s a little simple (pun intended).
That tailstrike probably happened during the go-around.

Simple flying is simply t...h. However what on earth is going on when you get a tailstrike on a go-around? Takes a pretty agressive manuever...

And I thought from another thread here that everything was so dandy with the monitored approach.

Approach, landing - not as planned, tail-strike, bounce, GA as recommended; crew took the correct actions.
May not have realised a tail-strike, actions for bounce.

they would as there is a sensor, which, looking at the pics, is no longer there.

Seen on Sunday 2nd.
 

I thought about posting this on Sunday but as the mods usually delete my posts I didn't bother!

https://www.euroweeklynews.com/2022/...y-at-heathrow/

Was posted Jan 4 on AvHerald

Incident: British Airways A35K at London on Jan 2nd 2022, tail scrape on landing

I suspect that the fact a runway inspection followed the GA meant that the crew and/or ATC were aware that bits might have been shed.

ATC were certainly aware, the sparks created by the tailscrape were clearly visible to them!

A350-1000 is a looooong aeroplane.

A blustery day, a light aircraft and two very experienced blokes.... It all gets a bit lively close to the ground so the PF executes a baulked landing. Good decision and everybody walked away to tell the tale.

I think there is a tendency in balked landings transitioning to a go-around of flight crews, going for that standard 15 degrees nose up pitch attitude. Perhaps a lower initial target for a few seconds makes sense.

Actually, quite the opposite. The tendency on a go-around is to under-rotate due to somatogravic effect. Somatogravic Effect

My experience as a TRE/IRE was that most pilots will typically rotate the aircraft to approximately 10°-11° NU which results in a very shallow climb gradient. It was necessary to “train” that tendency out of them by explaining somatogravic effect and teaching them to learn to ignore the miscues from the inner ear.

All very true but in a low-energy balked landing on one of the longer Airbii (I can speak to the 321) a rapid go-around rotation while the plane is still figuring out whether or not it can get out of ground effect yet, is a sure fire recipe for a tailstrike!

The damage is relatively minor. Should be back flying in well under a week.

Is it me, or have BA had quite a few more of these than expected since A35K introduction?

Believe they have had 2, both in windy conditions.

Out of interest, did both involve GAs ?

I heard the go around was caused by a fox chasing birds on Heathrow’s northerly runway 27L and the subsequent landing was met by a swarm of police cars while other flights were diverted.

at least that’s what the Mail and Express reported at the time under the headline “chaos at Heathrow”

I wonder what else they get wrong…..

Well if they said the northern runway was 27L, you can add that to the list ... :O

Re Somotogravic Illusion….

A baulked landing from the flare DEMANDS and “appropriate” pitch attitude INITIALLY - typically <10° - due to the tailstike risk on a longer aircraft. The SOLE purpose of the manuouvre is to get the aircraft climbing again whilst minimising the risk of banging the tail. Once it’s evident that you’re safely away from terra firma (RA > 50’-80’) increase pitch to circa 15°/SRS and call “Go around flaps” to transition into the normal GA actions…because with TOGA and <10° pitch you’ll start to accelerate quite quickly. Rotation straight to 15° from the flare - particularly with engines still spooling from idle - would be “sub optimal” due to the initial low energy and high AoA. Maintaining and “appropriate pitch”, any sink should result in a brief touch and go…whereas 15° would result in a three pointer with the mains and tail……:\

One issue with a baulked landing / GA from the flare is the transition back out of FLARE mode (don’t know if A350 has this?) Single aisle Airbus wind on nose down trim during the flare to “force” the pilot to make an aft side stick input like on a “normal” aircraft. But if you then initiate a BL/GA, the aircraft can feel very nose heavy due to the trim input from FLARE mode…..give it a tug and…… bang. As you climb away the aircraft transitions back from FLARE mode to FLIGHT mode and the auto trim will wind the trim off again.

No doubt all come out in the report……easily done.

A4