What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 7, 2010, a united airlines B-747-400 aircraft departed Sydney australia on a regularly scheduled passenger flight. During takeoff rotation on runway 34L the aircraft tail contacted the runway surface. The flight and cabin crew were unaware of this runway contact and conducted a normal departure. Air traffic control informed the aircraft that it appeared the tail had struck the runway. After verifying the aircraft was operating normally, the crew dumped fuel and returned to Sydney Airport for a normal landing. Minor scrape and crush damage in the lower tail section was detected on the post flight maintenance inspection.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 7, 2010, A UNITED AIRLINES B-747-400 AIRCRAFT DEPARTED SYDNEY AUSTRALIA ON A REGULARLY SCHEDULED PASSENGER FLIGHT. DURING TAKEOFF ROTATION ON RUNWAY 34L THE AIRCRAFT TAIL CONTACTED THE RUNWAY SURFACE.THE FLIGHT AND CABIN CREW WERE UNAWARE OF THIS RUNWAY CONTACT AND CONDUCTED A NORMAL DEPARTURE.AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL INFORMED THE AIRCRAFT THAT IT APPEARED THE TAIL HAD STRUCK THE RUNWAY.AFTER VERIFYING THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING NORMALLY, THE CREW DUMPED FUEL AND RETURNED TO SYDNEY AIRPORT FOR A NORMAL LANDING.MINOR SCRAPE AND CRUSH DAMAGE IN THE LOWER TAIL SECTION WAS DETECTED ON THE POST FLIGHT MAINTENANCE INSPECTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.