TailTail StrikeStrike BriefingBriefing

Capt.Capt. RayRay CraigCraig AirplaneAirplane ValidationValidation && FlightFlight OperationsOperations BoeingBoeing CommercialCommercial AirplanesAirplanes MayMay 20042004

737.1 PlannedPlanned TailTail StrikeStrike

The Boeing Company 737.2 PlannedPlanned TailTail StrikeStrike

The Boeing Company 737.3 The Boeing Company 737.4 The Boeing Company 737.5 The Boeing Company 737.6 The Boeing Company 737.7 The Boeing Company 737.8 PresentationPresentation OverviewOverview

• General information • Takeoff techniques • Landing techniques • Tail strike incidents on takeoff and landing • Training recommendations

The Boeing Company 737.9 GeneralGeneral InformationInformation

• More tail strikes occur on landing than on takeoff • 82% of 737-400 tail strikes occurred on landings • 737-400 does not have tail skid protection for landing therefore has higher damage • 70% of 737-800 tail strikes occurred on landings • 737-800/900 tail skid does not protect the aircraft body for landing. However, 737-800/900 have adequate aft body landing clearance • 1994-1995 was another tail strike peak period with all Boeing models due to increased deliveries and/or new pilots

The Boeing Company 737.10 TypicalTypical TakeoffTakeoff TailTail ClearanceClearance ProfileProfile

The Boeing Company 737.11 TailTail StrikesStrikes onon 737-800737-800

••13 13 totaltotal tailstrikestailstrikes toto datedate ––3 3 withoutwithout damagedamage (not(not listed)listed) ––10 10 withwith damagedamage ––3 3 occurredoccurred duringduring takeoff ––7 7 occurredoccurred duringduring landinglanding ––limited limited damagedamage occurredoccurred duringduring takeofftakeoff tailstrikestailstrikes ––the the 737-800/900 tailskid protects the aircraft on takeofftakeoff notnot onon landinglanding

The Boeing Company 737.12 TakeoffTakeoff RiskRisk FactorsFactors

••Mis-trimmed Mis-trimmed stabilizer ••Improper Improper rotationrotation techniquestechniques ••Improper Improper useuse of the flight director ••Rotation Rotation priorprior to Vr ••Excessive Excessive initial pitch attitude ••Heavy Heavy derate/flightderate/flight controlcontrol abuseabuse duringduring gusty/crosswindgusty/crosswind conditionsconditions

The Boeing Company 737.13 Mis-trimmedMis-trimmed StablizerStablizer

••Usually Usually resultsresults fromfrom usingusing erroneouserroneous datadata ––Wrong Wrong weights ––Incorrect Incorrect centercenter ofof gravitygravity (CG)(CG) ••Nose Nose upup mis-trimmis-trim cancan presentpresent problemsproblems ––Normal Normal recommendedrecommended rotationrotation raterate isis 22 toto 33 dpsdps ––Nose Nose upup mis-trimmis-trim cancan rotaterotate 55 dpsdps or or moremore ––Aircraft Aircraft maymay trytry toto flyfly offoff runwayrunway withoutwithout anyany pilotpilot inputinput

The Boeing Company 737.14 ImproperImproper RotationRotation TechniquesTechniques

••Too Too earlyearly oror tootoo latelate rotation ••Too Too fastfast oror tootoo slowslow rotationrotation ••Excessive Excessive rotation rate ••Excessive Excessive initial pitch attitude ••Rotation Rotation atat incorrectincorrect VrVr for for thethe weightweight andand flapflap settingsetting

The Boeing Company 737.15 EffectsEffects ofof ImproperImproper RotationRotation

••Slow Slow oror latelate rotationrotation usesuses additionaladditional runway - lower heightheight atat runwayrunway endend ••Early, Early, over or fast rotation - decreases initial climb performanceperformance ••Early Early and/orand/or fastfast rotationrotation increasesincreases chancechance ofof tailtail strikestrike

The Boeing Company 737.16 ImproperImproper UseUse ofof thethe FlightFlight DirectorDirector

•• CannotCannot rotaterotate onon thethe flightflight directordirector ••Flight Flight directorsdirectors areare designeddesigned toto provideprovide pitchpitch guidanceguidance onlyonly afterafter thethe aircraftaircraft isis airborne,airborne, nominallynominally passingpassing 3535 feetfeet ••Proper Proper rotationrotation raterate reachesreaches 3535 feetfeet withwith aboutabout 1515 degreesdegrees andand aa speedspeed ofof V2V2 ++ 1010 (V2(V2 ++ 1515 onon somesome models)models) ••An An aggressive rotation into the pitch bar may rotate thethe tailtail intointo thethe groundground

The Boeing Company 737.17 ReviewReview ofof ProperProper TakeoffTakeoff TechniquesTechniques

••Use Use normalnormal takeofftakeoff rotationrotation technique.technique. UseUse samesame techniquetechnique forfor -600-600 thruthru -900-900 ••Do Do notnot rotaterotate earlyearly ••Do Do notnot rotaterotate atat anan excessiveexcessive raterate oror toto anan excessiveexcessive attitudeattitude ••Ensure Ensure takeofftakeoff VV speedsspeeds areare correctcorrect andand adjustedadjusted forfor actualactual thrust used ••Consider Consider useuse ofof greatergreater flap setting to provide additionaladditional tailtail clearanceclearance ••Consider Consider usingusing FullFull ThrustThrust duringduring gusty/crosswindgusty/crosswind conditionsconditions

The Boeing Company 737.18 LandingLanding RiskRisk FactorsFactors

••Unstabilized Unstabilized approach approach ••Holding Holding airplaneairplane offoff thethe runwayrunway inin thethe flareflare ••Mis-handling Mis-handling ofof crosswindscrosswinds ••Over-rotation Over-rotation duringduring go-around

Note:Note: TailTail strikes on landing generally cause more damage.damage. TheThe tailtail maymay strikestrike thethe runwayrunway beforebefore thethe mainmain geargear damagingdamaging thethe aftaft pressurepressure bulkhead.bulkhead.

The Boeing Company 737.19 UnstablizedUnstablized Approach Approach

The Boeing Company 737.20 UnstablizedUnstablized Approach Approach

••Usually Usually appearsappears inin everyevery landinglanding tailtail strikestrike ••Flight Flight recordersrecorders showshow ifif notnot stabilizedstabilized byby 500500 feet,feet, willwill nevernever getget thethe approachapproach stabilizedstabilized ––Excessive Excessive or insufficient airspeed in the flare ––Long Long onon runwayrunway touchtouch downdown ••Increases Increases tendencytendency towardstowards largelarge pitchpitch andand powerpower changeschanges inin thethe flareflare

The Boeing Company 737.21 UnstablizedUnstablized Approach Approach …… continued continued

••Spoilers Spoilers addadd nosenose upup pitchingpitching forceforce whenwhen deployeddeployed ••Increases Increases tendencytendency towardtoward vigorousvigorous nosenose upup pullpull atat touchtouch downdown causingcausing aa tailtail strikestrike ••If If thethe airplane is slow, pulling the nose up in the flareflare doesdoes not reduce the sink rate, but may increaseincrease it ••Throttles Throttles aboveabove idleidle atat touchdowntouchdown addadd toto instability.instability.

The Boeing Company 737.22 HoldingHolding AirplaneAirplane OffOff RunwayRunway inin thethe FlareFlare

••Allowing Allowing airspeedairspeed toto decreasedecrease belowbelow VrefVref prior prior toto landinglanding flareflare resultingresulting inin highhigh pitchpitch attitudeattitude ••Trimming Trimming thethe stabilizerstabilizer nosenose upup justjust priorprior toto oror duringduring landinglanding flairflair ••Holding Holding the airplane off with increasingincreasing pitchpitch attitudeattitude inin anan attemptattempt toto makemake anan exextremelytremely smoothsmooth touchdowntouchdown ••Touchdown Touchdown withwith anan increaincreasingsing pitchpitch attitudeattitude ••Failure Failure toto flyfly nosenose geargear ontoonto runwrunwayay immediately immediately afterafter mainmain geargear touchdowntouchdown

The Boeing Company 737.23 Mis-handlingMis-handling ofof CrosswindsCrosswinds

••Crosswind Crosswind landingslandings maymay increaseincrease thethe tailtail strikestrike risk,risk, especiallyespecially inin gustygusty conditionsconditions ••To To stay on glide path at high ground speeds, descent ratesrates ofof 700700 toto 900900 feetfeet areare requiredrequired ••Cross Cross controllingcontrolling priorprior toto touchtouch down,down, reducesreduces lift,lift, increasesincreases drag,drag, andand maymay increaseincrease raterate ofof descentdescent ••Combined Combined effectseffects ofof highhigh closureclosure rate,rate, shiftingshifting windswinds plusplus turbulence,turbulence, cancan increaseincrease tailtail strikesstrikes

The Boeing Company 737.24 OverOver RotationRotation DuringDuring Go-aroundGo-around

••Go-arounds Go-arounds initiated initiated during flare and after a bouncedbounced landing,landing, cancan causecause tailtail strikesstrikes ••If If aa touchdowntouchdown far down the runway is likely, considerconsider aa go-aroundgo-around ••Safe Safe companiescompanies supportsupport go-aroundsgo-arounds

The Boeing Company 737.25 BouncedBounced LandingLanding FCTMFCTM FlareFlare andand TouchdownTouchdown

••If If aa bouncebounce occurs,occurs, holdhold oror re-establishre-establish aa normalnormal landinglanding attitudeattitude andand addadd thrustthrust asas necessarynecessary toto controlcontrol raterate ofof descentdescent ••Thrust Thrust needneed notnot bebe added for a shallow bounce or skipskip ••When When aa high,high, hardhard bouncebounce occurs,occurs, initiateinitiate aa go-go- around.around. ApplyApply go-aroundgo-around thrustthrust andand useuse normalnormal go-go- aroundaround procedures.procedures. AA secondsecond touchdowntouchdown maymay occuroccur duringduring thethe go-aroundgo-around

The Boeing Company 737.26 ReviewReview ofof ProperProper LandingLanding TechniquesTechniques

••Maintain Maintain an airspeed of Vref + 5 kt minimum to start ofof flareflare ••Airplane Airplane shouldshould bebe inin trimtrim atat ststartart ofof flare;flare; dodo notnot trimtrim inin thethe flareflare oror afterafter touchdowntouchdown ••Do Do not “hold thethe airplaneairplane off”off” inin anan attemptattempt toto makemake anan excessivelyexcessively smoothsmooth landinglanding ••Immediately Immediately afterafter mainmain landilandingng geargear touchdown,touchdown, releaserelease backback pressurepressure onon controlcontrol wheelwheel andand flyfly thethe nosenose wheelwheel ontoonto thethe runwayrunway ––Do Do notnot allowallow pitchpitch attitudeattitude toto increaseincrease afterafter touchdowntouchdown ––Do Do notnot attemptattempt toto useuse aeroaero brakingbraking -- itit doesdoes notnot workwork !!

The Boeing Company 737.27 TrainingTraining RecommendationsRecommendations

••Include Include tailtail strikestrike awarenessawareness andand preventionprevention briefingsbriefings inin allall initial,initial, transitiontransition andand recurrentrecurrent trainingtraining

••Install Install and use simulator tail clearance page in all simulators.simulators. ThisThis hashas provenproven toto bebe aa veryvery effectiveeffective briefingbriefing tooltool duringduring trainingtraining

The Boeing Company 737.28 ContinuousContinuous TrainingTraining AwarenessAwareness

••Emphasize Emphasize DOs and DON’Ts of tail strike avoidance duringduring trainingtraining ••Include Include video as a basic item in all crew retraining sessionssessions ••Include Include simulatorsimulator softwaresoftware forfor tailtail strikestrike awarenessawareness ••Display Display tail strike posters ••Distribute Distribute appropriateappropriate literatureliterature

The Boeing Company 737.29 SummarySummary

••More More tailtail strikesstrikes occuroccur onon landinglanding thanthan onon takeofftakeoff ••Tail Tail strikesstrikes areare costlycostly butbut cancan bebe preventedprevented withwith properproper trainingtraining ••Tail Tail strikestrike awarenessawareness andand trainingtraining shouldshould bebe continuouscontinuous ••Simulators Simulators cancan helphelp ••Stabilize Stabilize thethe approachapproach byby 500500 feetfeet AGL

The Boeing Company 737.30 The Boeing Company 737.31