Can A Boeing 777-300ER Tail Strike On Takeoff?

Question

With a strike plate(?), does it make it impossible to strike on takeoff? And does a strike plate(?) need to be replaced after it has been used?

Answer 1

yes but a 777 asnt got a strike plate but cant be 100% 767 has and can cause serious damage to stucture depending on impact

Answer 2

Yes it can. Happend 12 times during testing.

A  strike plate needs replacement after a strike.

Answer 3

Most fixed wing aircraft, large and small, can have a tail strike on takeoff if mishandled.  Tail skids are installed by manufacturers on the models judged to be particularly susceptible to tail strikes.  So if you see a tail skid on an airliner it does not mean it can not have a tail strike - just the opposite - it means it is more likely to have one.  The purpose of the tail skid - like a bumper on a car - is to limit structural damage when a strike occurs.  Tail skid usually contains a crushable shock absorber - which needs to be replaced after a tail strike.  The aircraft also needs to undergo inspection before being returned to service.

Answer 4

To answer the second part of your question first the strike plate does not stop the aircraft tail making contact with the runway. It is there to prevent damage occurring to primary structure on a tail strike.

A tail strike would be recorded as a abnormal event and specials checks would be carried out. The strike plate would have to be assessed to see if it is within wear limits which would determine whether it requires replacement.

The Boeing 777-300ER cannot theoretically strike on takeoff due to protection built into its fly-by-wire system that monitors the rate at which the tail descends towards the runway and corrects the elevator deflection accordingly.

Neil