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]
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.
- ^ "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.