In aviation, a tailstrike or tail strike occurs when the tail or empennage of an aircraft strikes the ground or other stationary object. This can happen with a fixed-wing aircraft with tricycle undercarriage, in both takeoff where the pilot rotates the nose up too rapidly, or in landing where the pilot raises the nose too sharply during final approach, often in attempting to land too near the runway threshold.[1][2] It can also happen during helicopter operations close to the ground, when the tail inadvertently strikes an obstacle.[3]
Tail wheel on an Aermacchi MB-326 to minimise damage caused by tailstrikeThe tail bumper of Concorde G-BOAF at Filton, Bristol
A minor tailstrike incident may not be dangerous in itself, but the aircraft may still be weakened and must be thoroughly inspected and repaired if a more disastrous accident is to be avoided later in its operating life.
Fixed-wing aircraft with a conventional tail and tricycle undercarriage are vulnerable to tailstrike. Those which require a high angle of attack on takeoff or landing are especially so. They may be fitted with a protection device such as a small tailwheel (Concorde and the Saab Draken), tailskid (Diamond DA20), or reinforced tail bumper. The device may be fixed or retractable.[4][5]
Incident managementedit
Tailstrike incidents are rarely dangerous in themselves, but the aircraft must be thoroughly inspected and repairs may be difficult and expensive if the pressure hull is involved. Inadequate inspections and improper repairs to damaged airframes after a tailstrike have been known to cause catastrophic structural failure long after the tailstrike incident following multiple pressurization cycles.
Examples of notable tailstrikesedit
Emirates Flight 407, tailstrike on takeoff when correcting for insufficient thrust.
KLM Flight 4805, tailstrike on takeoff while attempting to avoid collision in the Tenerife airport disaster.[6]
Japan Air Lines Flight 123, improper repairs to a previous tailstrike on landing, resulting in catastrophic failure seven years later. The 520 fatalities made this the deadliest single-aircraft accident in aviation history.[7]
China Airlines Flight 611, improper repairs to a previous tailstrike on landing, resulting in catastrophic failure twenty-two years later.
Air India Express Flight 611, severe tailstrike on takeoff following the collapse of the captain's backrest resulting in collision with the localizer antenna and perimeter wall.
Tailstrikes can also happen with helicopters, and example of this is an Australian AW139 which on landing the rear tail hit vegetation.[8] With helicopter's a tail strike can mean that the tail rotor itself, boom, or tailfin are damaged by contact.[9]
Another type of danger for helicopters that have a tail boom, is that the main rotor and tail strike each other, which can cause the tail to be cut off and/or damage the main rotor blade.[10]
Referencesedit
^(PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 August 2011.
^• (2022-04-18). "Main Rotor Struck Tail Boom, Dooming Chopper in Rowlett Crash: NTSB". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. Retrieved 2024-04-30. {{cite web}}: |last= has numeric name (help)
External linksedit
Tailstrike during takeoff, Jetphotos.net
January 01, 1970
tailstrike, aviation, tailstrike, tail, strike, occurs, when, tail, empennage, aircraft, strikes, ground, other, stationary, object, this, happen, with, fixed, wing, aircraft, with, tricycle, undercarriage, both, takeoff, where, pilot, rotates, nose, rapidly, . In aviation a tailstrike or tail strike occurs when the tail or empennage of an aircraft strikes the ground or other stationary object This can happen with a fixed wing aircraft with tricycle undercarriage in both takeoff where the pilot rotates the nose up too rapidly or in landing where the pilot raises the nose too sharply during final approach often in attempting to land too near the runway threshold 1 2 It can also happen during helicopter operations close to the ground when the tail inadvertently strikes an obstacle 3 Tail wheel on an Aermacchi MB 326 to minimise damage caused by tailstrike The tail bumper of Concorde G BOAF at Filton Bristol A minor tailstrike incident may not be dangerous in itself but the aircraft may still be weakened and must be thoroughly inspected and repaired if a more disastrous accident is to be avoided later in its operating life Contents 1 Protection measures 2 Incident management 3 Examples of notable tailstrikes 4 Helicopters 5 References 6 External linksProtection measures editFixed wing aircraft with a conventional tail and tricycle undercarriage are vulnerable to tailstrike Those which require a high angle of attack on takeoff or landing are especially so They may be fitted with a protection device such as a small tailwheel Concorde and the Saab Draken tailskid Diamond DA20 or reinforced tail bumper The device may be fixed or retractable 4 5 Incident management editTailstrike incidents are rarely dangerous in themselves but the aircraft must be thoroughly inspected and repairs may be difficult and expensive if the pressure hull is involved Inadequate inspections and improper repairs to damaged airframes after a tailstrike have been known to cause catastrophic structural failure long after the tailstrike incident following multiple pressurization cycles Examples of notable tailstrikes editEmirates Flight 407 tailstrike on takeoff when correcting for insufficient thrust KLM Flight 4805 tailstrike on takeoff while attempting to avoid collision in the Tenerife airport disaster 6 Japan Air Lines Flight 123 improper repairs to a previous tailstrike on landing resulting in catastrophic failure seven years later The 520 fatalities made this the deadliest single aircraft accident in aviation history 7 China Airlines Flight 611 improper repairs to a previous tailstrike on landing resulting in catastrophic failure twenty two years later Middle East Airlines Flight 304 tailstrike on landing at Cairo International Airport Air India Express Flight 611 severe tailstrike on takeoff following the collapse of the captain s backrest resulting in collision with the localizer antenna and perimeter wall Air Transport International Flight 782 Experienced a tailstrike when trying to takeoff from Kansas City International Airport Helicopters editTailstrikes can also happen with helicopters and example of this is an Australian AW139 which on landing the rear tail hit vegetation 8 With helicopter s a tail strike can mean that the tail rotor itself boom or tailfin are damaged by contact 9 Another type of danger for helicopters that have a tail boom is that the main rotor and tail strike each other which can cause the tail to be cut off and or damage the main rotor blade 10 References edit Preventing tailstrike at takeoff Airbus Safety Lib PDF Archived from the original PDF on 23 August 2011 Tail Strike Avoidance www boeing com Helicopter Safety Flight Pg 32 15 April 1998 Archived from the original on 3 February 2019 Retrieved 26 August 2020 Tailstrike in Airbus Safety lib PDF Archived from the original PDF on April 25 2012 Aircraft Tail Bumpers AIR1800 SAE Ranter Harro ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 747 206B PH BUF Tenerife Los Rodeos International Airport TCI aviation safety net Ranter Harro ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 747SR 46 JA8119 Ueno aviation safety net Aviation Safety Network Retrieved June 15 2009 Tail rotor strike highlights importance of heightened situational awareness operating into confined areas Aerossurance 2022 04 29 US Air Ambulance Helicopter Hospital Heliport Tail Strike Aerossurance Retrieved 2024 04 30 2022 04 18 Main Rotor Struck Tail Boom Dooming Chopper in Rowlett Crash NTSB NBC 5 Dallas Fort Worth Retrieved 2024 04 30 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a last has numeric name help External links editTailstrike during takeoff Jetphotos net Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tailstrike amp oldid 1221514213, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
