Unless you’re flying a tailwheel-equipped airplane, you really don’t want the tail to touch the ground. It’s potentially dangerous, not to mention embarrassing. And a tail strike—when the tail section of an airplane contacts the surface while taking off or landing—can result in significant damage to the aft section of a tricycle-gear airplane. The good news is that tail strikes are preventable.
Multiple causes of tail strikes during takeoff and landing have been described (see the table at the top of the opposite page). For example, during a takeoff, it can happen because a pilot pulls back too much on the pitch control, leading to an excessively high nose-up attitude and angle of attack (AoA). During landing, it is likely to occur when a pilot pitches up and flares too aggressively prior to touchdown.
