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A tail strike can occur during either takeoff or landing. Many air carrier aircraft have tail skids to absorb energy from a tailstrike. On some aircraft, the tail skid is a small bump on the aft underside of the airplane, while on others it is a retractable skid that extends and retracts with the landing gear. Most tail strikes are the result of pilot error, and in general, landing tail strikes cause more damage than takeoff tail strikes. In 1978, Japan Airlines flight 115 experienced a tail strike during landing that caused damage to the aft pressure bulkhead. The aircraft was repaired (although the repair was faulty) and returned to service. Seven years later, the aircraft, operating as Japan Airlines Flight 123, crashed as a result of the failure of the improperly-repaired pressure bulkhead. This Boeing document is an excellent analysis of tailstrikes. A portion of the document is reproduced below: Takeoff Risk Factors Any one of these four takeoff risk factors may precede a tail strike: Mistrimmed stabi