Porter Tail Strike..mistaken for fast moving bird strike

[midwingcrisis]

Occurrence No. : A12O0156 Occurrence Type: ACCIDENT
Class : BEING ASSESSED Reportable Type:
Date : 21-09-2012 Time : 09:57 EDT
Region of Responsibility : ONTARIO
Location : CYQG WINDSOR, ONTARIO


Aircraft Information:

Registration : C-GLQG Operator : PORTER AIRLINES INC.
Manufacturer : DE HAVILLAND Operator Type: COMMERCIAL
Model : DHC-8-400 CARs Info: 705 - AIRLINER
Injuries: Fatal : 0 Serious : 0 Minor : 0 None : 32 Unknown : 0


Occurrence Summary :

A12O0156: The Porter Airlines DHC-8-400 (registration C-GLQG, flight number 574) was departing from Windsor, Ontario when a tail strike occurred during takeoff. Because the flight crew was unaware, the flight continued to its destination where it landed without further incident. As the flight crew suspected a bird strike, a post flight inspection was completed when the damage was located. The underside of the aircraft, aft of the pressure bulkhead and tail strike sensor was damaged. The operator is currently assessing the damage. The TSB deployed two investigators.

[squash junky]

With the amount of damage I would suspect a bigger bird. Blue heron comes to mind. A relative fast bird (compared to -8)
Wouldn't it make more sense to dispatch 2 bird watchers?

[altiplano]

Blue heron comes to mind.

I think I remember being told that a tail strike on takeoff in a Q400 is impossible.

The way guys are told to haul on it on rotation and that a tail strike hasn't occurred previously with that directive that must have been one hell of a rotation there in YQG.

Or did it occur on landing?

Sounds like the crew didn't think it was a tail strike on takeoff.

No touched runway light either?

[Siddley Hawker]

Probably a variable tailwind on departure.

[GyvAir]

Yes, I agree.
It’s been well documented on this forum that horizontal occluded windshear resulting in a change of wind component to tailwind can lead to a surprise lack-of-airspeed discovery during rotation, potentially resulting in 'late' "excessive" control inputs by a crew already preoccupied with (writing down) real time wind corrections.

[GTAFI]

LOL, funny comments. I can only imagine a new AvCan member reading all this and saying "WTF are these guys talking about???" gotta love the inside jokes... now I'm going to go check Wunderground see if they have any updates!

See ya!

[justwork]

Hey Altiplano, the occurrence report says the underside of the aircraft, aft of the pressure bulkhead and tail strike sensor was damaged. Poorly worded sentence but I believe it means the strike was aft of the sensor and not that the sensor was damaged.

[altiplano]

OK, yeah that was worded strange. So what's up? Thought the Q400 couldn't have a tail strike on rotation?