What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On June 10, 2002, at 2130 mountain daylight time, fedex flight 1255, an Airbus industrie A300-600F, transport category airplane, N681FE, experienced a tail strike during a rejected takeoff (rto) at the El Paso International Airport (elp), near El Paso, Texas. During the code of federal regulations part 121 cargo flight, the owner and operator was fedex express, at memphis, Tennessee. The captain and first officer were not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the scheduled flight, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed and activated. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. (-23) during take off roll the crew noted an apparent flight management computer (FMC) malfunction and a corresponding "instrument rollback." In this condition the FMC airspeed data has an internal computer default of "100 KTS." This failure of the FMC coincidentally occurred at the time and point the aircraft was passing through "VI". There was a lack of situational awareness as indicated by two aspects, 1) the crew observed the failure but, did not transition to "raw data" available on the standby indicator (part of fdea CRM training) and 2) the first office, the non-flying pilot, appears to have over-relied on the planned "V2 reference data" as opposed to validating with actual airspeed. During this event it appears he mistakenly made an "early" "vr" callout which, was approximately 15 knots too slow by performance calculations. The captain did in fact "rotate" the aircraft into a climb attitude upon the callout. Realizing that this configuration and profile were unacceptable he then "rejected" the take-off back onto the departure runway. The aircraft recontacted the runway in a climb attitude of at least 12 degrees of nose up pitch. This is evidenced by the "substantial damage" noted in the aft section of the aircraft fuselage, one structural floor beam forward of the aft pressure bulkhead. This damage corresponds directly with a "tail strike" scenario which is noted historically with this make and model of aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JUNE 10, 2002, AT 2130 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, FEDEX FLIGHT 1255, AN AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A300-600F, TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANE, N681FE, EXPERIENCED A TAIL STRIKE DURING A REJECTED TAKEOFF (RTO) AT THE EL PASO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (ELP), NEAR EL PASO, TEXAS. DURING THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 121 CARGO FLIGHT, THE OWNER AND OPERATOR WAS FEDEX EXPRESS, AT MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE. THE CAPTAIN AND FIRST OFFICER WERE NOT INJURED, AND THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE SCHEDULED FLIGHT, AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED AND ACTIVATED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (-23) DURING TAKE OFF ROLL THE CREW NOTED AN APPARENT FLIGHT MANAGEMENT COMPUTER (FMC) MALFUNCTION AND A CORRESPONDING "INSTRUMENT ROLLBACK." IN THIS CONDITION THE FMC AIRSPEED DATA HAS AN INTERNAL COMPUTER DEFAULT OF "100 KTS." THIS FAILURE OF THE FMC COINCIDENTALLY OCCURRED AT THE TIME AND POINT THE AIRCRAFT WAS PASSING THROUGH "VI". THERE WAS A LACK OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AS INDICATED BY TWO ASPECTS, 1) THE CREW OBSERVED THE FAILURE BUT, DID NOT TRANSITION TO "RAW DATA" AVAILABLE ON THE STANDBY INDICATOR (PART OF FDEA CRM TRAINING) AND 2) THE FIRST OFFICE, THE NON-FLYING PILOT, APPEARS TO HAVE OVER-RELIED ON THE PLANNED "V2 REFERENCE DATA" AS OPPOSED TO VALIDATING WITH ACTUAL AIRSPEED. DURING THIS EVENT IT APPEARS HE MISTAKENLY MADE AN "EARLY" "VR" CALLOUT WHICH, WAS APPROXIMATELY 15 KNOTS TOO SLOW BY PERFORMANCE CALCULATIONS. THE CAPTAIN DID IN FACT "ROTATE" THE AIRCRAFT INTO A CLIMB ATTITUDE UPON THE CALLOUT. REALIZING THAT THIS CONFIGURATION AND PROFILE WERE UNACCEPTABLE HE THEN "REJECTED" THE TAKE-OFF BACK ONTO THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT RECONTACTED THE RUNWAY IN A CLIMB ATTITUDE OF AT LEAST 12 DEGREES OF NOSE UP PITCH. THIS IS EVIDENCED BY THE "SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE" NOTED IN THE AFT SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE, ONE STRUCTURAL FLOOR BEAM FORWARD OF THE AFT PRESSURE BULKHEAD. THIS DAMAGE CORRESPONDS DIRECTLY WITH A "TAIL STRIKE" SCENARIO WHICH IS NOTED HISTORICALLY WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.