B737-800
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 237; Flight Crew Type 8000
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Ground Event / Encounter Ground Strike - Aircraft; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
General Maintenance Action
Human Factors; Weather
TPA winds were approximately 300/17G30. Departing Runway 1R; just prior to VR; we experienced a strong gusting left crosswind. At VR I rotated; but the aircraft climb was sluggish with the gusty winds; so I increased the pitch to establish a positive rate of climb. The rest of the takeoff was turbulent; but uneventful. Upon arriving at [destination]; I checked the Aircraft Condition Monitoring System (ACMS) pitch limit indicator and it was 14; so I conducted an external inspection of the tail skid and discovered there had been contact. The crushable cartridge was still showing green and the skid plate dimples were visible. Dispatch and Maintenance were notified.With the gusty crosswind conditions a max performance takeoff might have helped. If I was using the Head-up Guidance System (HGS); I might have been advised of the tailstrike from the tailstrike indicator.
Takeoff was in very gusty winds that I think had picked up after we left the gate; Captain was fighting pretty good to maintain centerline; rotation rate appeared normal; I think a large gust just lifted him off and increased his Angle of Attack (AOA) as he was leaving the runway. No in-cockpit notification of a tailstrike was received; the flight was normal.
B737-800 flight crew reported experiencing a tail strike on takeoff in gusty winds at TPA.