Date: 202003
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Night
Aircraft: A300
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Cargo / Freight / Delivery
Flight phase: Landing
Airspace: Class B ZZZ
ATC / advisory: Tower ZZZ
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Not Flying; Captain; Check Pilot
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine
Second reporter function: Pilot Flying; First Officer
Anomaly: Ground Event / Encounter Ground Strike - Aircraft; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: I reached out to the First Officer a week prior to the trip and we had a brief discussion to schedule a meeting in order to discuss the upcoming IOE training. We met at my hangar and I went over a lot of the items on the OE/Requal checklist. I felt it was important to get some work done ahead of time as the [early morning] departure to ZZZ is a very difficult start time to manage with any kind of rest. I made a point to brief the areas of vulnerabilities for both ZZZ1 and ZZZ. These are arguably two of the more challenging airports we fly to; primarily because of the high field elevation. I debated for a long time whether I should fly both legs. I ultimately decided there is was no way I would let a new pilot with zero heavy jet experience land in ZZZ1. The weather in ZZZ was good; clear with no wind; so I felt this would be the acceptable option to begin the training.  We met one hour prior to departure and went over the flight paperwork and expectations for the flight. Arriving at the aircraft; preflight; and engine start were normal. Taxi out and takeoff as well as cruise phase and the descent into the ZZZ area were all fine. As part of the landing briefing; I made a point to cover the difference landing at a high elevation airport over a normal elevation airport. I told the First Officer it was important to flare at 30 feet instead of the normal 20 feet. We discussed the auto throttles and whether to leave them engaged or not. I told him I preferred to leave them engaged; but not to let them come to idle at 30 feet. I emphasized he could still push the throttles with the auto throttles engaged. I told him we should leave some power in until well established in the flare or when the wheels touch down. We were cleared for the visual approach and descended to 7000 feet. We had some difficulty intercepting the final approach course as we rolled out too early and were approximately a half mile left of the course. Now we were going past the glide slope intercept point and were getting slightly high on the path. I instructed the First Officer to disengage the autopilot and manually fly the aircraft. We were able to make all necessary flight path corrections and meet stabilized approach well prior to 1000 feet. The First Officer began his flare at 50 feet. This was slightly higher than the 30 feet we briefed. I told him to add power and he complied. I felt a sink rate develop around 20 feet and I exerted slight aft pressure on the yoke to cushion the touchdown. We were exactly on the approach speed of 135 knots; so I felt we had plenty of energy to work with. I think he felt the pressure I put on the yoke and he abruptly snatched the yoke aft just as the wheels touched down. The aircraft rapidly pitched up as the aircraft bounced. I felt the bounce was serious and immediately initiated a go around. I saw he was moving to deploy the reversers and I pushed his hands away and made sure the reversers remained stowed while I pushed the throttles to Max and hit the TOGA switches. The go around; pattern and subsequent landing were all normal. I filled out the logbook and made the appropriate phone calls. I felt we were in an extremely dangerous situation and recovering the landing was not an option.


Second narrative: During the first leg of my OE; I was the flying pilot on the visual approach to RWY XXR at ZZZ backed up with the ILS. I was hand flying the approach with autothrottles engaged.  The approach was stabilized and at approximately 200 ft AGL I added a small amount of thrust to maintain speed given the high airport elevation. Between 50 ft and 30 ft I began to initiate a flare and at some point; shortly thereafter; the Captain added back pressure on the control wheel to counter what he felt was an increase in sink rate. The wheels touched down firmly and there was a perceived bounce. The Captain immediately took over the aircraft controls and initiated a go-around to avoid a second touchdown. The Captain flew the go-around and traffic pattern to a normal landing and we taxied to the ramp with no further issues. After a maintenance inspection; it was determined the aircraft did not suffer a hard landing or any damage; but the tail skid plate had contacted the runway. This was my first approach and landing in the actual aircraft and I believe the high airport elevation was a factor in aircraft control.


Synopsis: A-300F flight crew reported a hard landing/tailstrike by First Officer during first flight of OE. Captain executed a go-around to an uneventful landing.