LOSS OF ACFT CTL AS A C-177RG ENCOUNTERS WAKE TURB DURING A FORMATION FLT TKOF.

Narrative

I HAVE DELAYED WRITING THIS BECAUSE OF THE BIG SCARE I GOT; THE WORST IN 28 YRS OF FLYING. I THOUGHT I WAS DEAD; AND I DON'T REALLY WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT. THE R HAND SEAT PLT/PAX IS ALSO SUBMITTING A RPT. HE IS A GOOD FRIEND AND ALSO AN EXPERIENCED FORMATION PLT (WE FLY TOGETHER REGULARLY) AND WE HAVE AGREED NOT TO COMPARE NOTES IN THE PREPARATION OF OUR RPTS SO THAT THE 2 POINTS OF VIEW AND BEST LESSONS ARE BROUGHT FORWARD. THE OCCASION WAS THE VISIT BY 7-YAK 18T'S AND 1 ANTONOV AN-2 LIGHT ACFT; ALL RUSSIAN; TO ARCHERFIELD AS PART OF A RECENT GOODWILL TOUR. BY ARRANGEMENT WITH THE ARCHERFIELD SENIOR CTLR WE WERE DEPARTING WITH THE RUSSIANS FOR A SHORT FLT TO SAY GOODBYE TO THEM. IT WAS TO BE A FORMATION EVENT. DISCUSSIONS WERE HELD WITH THE AUSTRALIAN PLT IN THE LEAD YAK 18T. BECAUSE OF LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES; NO DISCUSSIONS WERE HELD WITH THE ANTONOV AN-2 PLT. THE ANTONOV WAS TO DEPART LAST; AND WE WERE TO FORMATE ON HIS R. A BLOCK TKOF CLRNC WAS GIVEN. THE 7 YAK 18T'S DEPARTED AS A GROUP. THE ANTONOV AN-2 LINED UP; AND I MADE A DECISION (A WRONG ONE!) TO LINE UP ON THE R INSTEAD OF A STREAM TKOF; BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED FOR HIS PROP TURB. (THE PREVIOUS DAY I HAD LED A FORMATION OF 7 CESSNA 152'S TO WELCOME THE RUSSIANS AND HAD BEEN WARNED NOT TO CROSS THE ANTONOV'S WAKE). MY FORMATION GROUP HAS MADE MANY 3 ACFT VIC TKOFS ON THE SAME RWY IN CESSNA 152'S AND 172'S. I ROLLED ABOUT 10 SECONDS AFTER THE AN- 2. HE WENT STRAIGHT DOWN THE CTRLINE; AND HE WAS AIRBORNE QUICKLY. MY CESSNA 177 WAS FULLY LOADED (FULL FUEL; 4 ADULTS). JUST AFTER I ROTATED; IT WAS AS IF A BIG HAND HAD GRASPED THE ACFT; AND IT WAS DEPOSITED FIRMLY BACK ON THE RWY (THERE WAS NO ROLLING MOTION). I INSTANTLY REALIZED THERE WAS A SLIGHT SOUTHERLY WIND DRIFT ACROSS THE RWY; AND I HAD ENCOUNTERED THE DOWNWASH FROM THE ANTONOV'S R WINGS. AS I DID NOT KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF I CLOSED THE THROTTLE (THE ACFT WAS EXPERIENCING TURBULENT BUFFETING AND I WAS UNSURE OF MY POS RELATIVE TO THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS). I MADE A DECISION (ANOTHER WRONG ONE) TO KEEP THE ACFT IN THE AIR. I ROTATED AGAIN; CLBED A FEW FT WITH ADEQUATE AIRSPD; AND DECIDED (MY THIRD WRONG DECISION!) THAT WITH THE WIND DRIFT I WOULD BE BETTER ON THE L OF THE ANTONOV. COMPLETELY FORGETTING THE PROP WASH; I BANKED THE ACFT L; STRAIGHT THROUGH IT. THE ANTONOV'S 1000 HP ENG INCREASED MY RATE OF L ROLL. AT FIRST I LET IT GO AS I WAS MOVING THE WAY I WANTED TO. WITH ROLL RATE RAPIDLY INCREASING I APPLIED FULL OPPOSITE AILERON. SOME R RUDDER AND FLEW BY AIRSPD. AIRSPD WENT HIGH (THE PROP WASH); I THINK I MUST HAVE CONVERTED THIS INTO LIFT; AND REMEMBER LOOKING AT THE L HAND SIDE OF THE RWY STRIP; AT A BANK ANGLE OF ABOUT 60 TO 70 DEGS; SUDDENLY IN SMOOTH AIR; NOSE SLIGHTLY DOWN; STILL FLYING AIRSPD AT 65 KTS. EYEWITNESSES HAVE CONFIRMED THE BANK ANGLE AND ATTITUDE; AND ADVISED MY WINGTIP WENT NO CLOSER THAN ABOUT 20 FT TO THE GND. I THOUGHT IT WAS MUCH CLOSER AND THAT I WAS DEAD. EYEWITNESSES ALL THOUGHT AN ACCIDENT WAS IMMINENT. SOMEHOW I LEVELED THE WINGS; ESTABLISHED A CLB; AND THE REST OF THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. DURING THE COURSE OF EVENTS; I HAD RETRACTED THE GEAR (USELESS; AS IT TAKES 12 SECONDS TO COME UP IN A CESSNA 177; AND FULL PROCEEDINGS ONLY OCCUPIED 5 SECONDS) AND THERE WAS NO FLAP; AS IN MY HASTE TO DEPART I HAD FORGOTTEN TO SET TKOF FLAP. AS WITH ALL SUCH OCCURRENCES; THERE IS A HUMAN FACTOR. I HADN'T BEEN SLEEPING WELL BECAUSE OF BUSINESS OVERLOAD; AND THE DAY THE RUSSIANS ARRIVED WAS LONG AND EXCITING. MY NEIGHBOR HADN'T GOT A RIDE IN A YAK 18T THAT DAY; AND I OFFERED A CONSOLATION FORMATION RIDE TO SEE THEM OFF THE NEXT MORNING. I ONLY HAD ABOUT 4 1/2 HRS SLEEP AND THOUGH I FELT OK; I DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO GO; BUT DIDN'T WANT TO DISAPPOINT MY NEIGHBOR. HIS WIFE DECIDED TO GO ALSO; AND I RAN INTO MY FORMATION PLT FRIEND ON THE MORNING OFFERING HIM A RIDE. THUS; THE ACFT WAS FULLY LOADED. ALCOHOL WAS NOT A FACTOR. (I HAD ABOUT 4 LIGHT (MEANS LOW-ALCOHOL IN AUSTRALIA) BEERS BTWN 5 PM AND 7 PM THE NIGHT BEFORE). IN SHORT; MY JUDGEMENT WAS SOMEWHAT IMPAIRED BY FATIGUE. THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED IS THAT; HOWEVER MUCH EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE; YOU ARE NOT IMMUNE TO BAD JUDGEMENT. AN ANTONOV AN- 2 IS A SINGLE-ENG; FIXED GEAR BIPLANE; AND THERE ITS SIMILARITY TO A TIGER MOTH ENDS. IT HAS A 1000 HP RADIAL ENG; AND CARRIES UP TO 14 PEOPLE. I WAS OVERCONFIDENT IN MY ABILITIES; AND SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ANYWHERE NEAR IT ON TKOF. LOOKING BACK THROUGH THE RETROSPECT-O-SCOPE; I WAS PLAIN STUPID; AND NEARLY KILLED ALL FO US IN THE CESSNA 177. SOMEHOW I LIVED SIMPLY THROUGH LUCK. WAKE TURB IS NOT CAUSED ONLY BY BIG JETS; A LESSON I ALREADY KNEW; AND HAD TO LEARN AGAIN THE HARD WAY. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PUBLISH THIS RPT AS YOU FEEL FIT; ALTHOUGH I PREFER TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS. ABOUT 100 PEOPLE SAW ME NEARLY BUY THE FARM AND I RECEIVE ENOUGH RIBBING NOW! MY PLT FRIEND IN THE R HAND SEAT VIDEOED THE WHOLE PROCEEDINGS; BUT I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IT YET AS I DON'T WANT TO RELIVE HAPPENINGS. IF AND WHEN I DO COPY IT; I WILL FORWARD ONE TO BASI; IF IT LOOKS USEFUL.