Possible Tailstrike UA 744
 

Hi guys just looking out over the lighthouse from CBD looks like a comercial doing circles and some dark contrails behind...

any ideas???

United 870 dumping fuel after tailstrike.

Just about to join final for 34L. Nil services required.

must have been the UA 747 that went over Pymble at about 3.00pm, following a non-normal departure route

I happen to get a couple of shots of the tail strike. Cannot actually see the contact due to my short ladder, however the attitude of the take off says it all. I had the scanner on and I dont think the United aircrew realised they made contact. It was the Etihad pilot on taxi out to the bay that reported it to ATC. Forgive the quality of the shots, it is me we are talking about:p. The ground staff reported metal shavings on the runway and had to be swept up before 34L and 25 were available.

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/r...Aplane/TS3.jpg

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/r...Aplane/TS2.jpg

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/r...Aplane/TS1.jpg

Rego was N128UA.

Not really...United and the LA/Jo'burg bound QF birds often get the tail to within a few feet of the runway.

With no dust cloud visible in the shots one could argue that that's how they always look on departure. It doesn't help that the United aircraft has past the crest of the runway and has just begun the downhill run.

Totally agree Nigel (should be Robocop :rolleyes:). I will not use these shots as evidence, however these are shots I have taken of an aircraft reported to have had a tail strike by another airline that was taxi. I thought I'd like to share them. I did say a couple in the original post and added three photos ( I am surprised you did not pick me up on that one:p). To me on the last shot the tail does look very close, and yes as mentioned in the previous post cannot see due to my line of sight.

Robocop? Nah...I've just seen one or two (thousand perhaps?) departures from close up over the years and still appreciate just how close they come without actually hitting.

I was wondering the same thing - I could see the aircraft doing circles and I couldn't tell what it was. Thanks for the info.