DC-9 EXPERIENCES WAKE TURB FOLLOWING A B-727.

Date: 1995-03 · Aircraft: DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: approach

Anomalies: inflight-event-encounter-loss-of-aircraft-control|inflight-event-encounter-other-unknown

Synopsis

DC-9 EXPERIENCES WAKE TURB FOLLOWING A B-727.

Narrative

THIS LETTER IS IN RESPONSE TO CALLBACK #189 CONCERNING WAKE-TURB. I HAVE HAD 2 OCCURRENCES IN MY CAREER. THE FIRST WAS IN THE LATE 1960'S. LEAVING JFK; AT NIGHT; IFR; ENCOUNTERED TURB CLBING PIPER APACHE OUT AROUND 1500 FT. TO THIS DAY; I'M NOT SURE WHETHER WE MADE A COMPLETE ROLL. IT DID REQUIRE A RAPID RECOVERY FROM A PRETTY UNUSUAL ATTITUDE WHEN I COULD FINALLY READ THE INSTS. THE SECOND ENCOUNTER WAS AT OHR. I WAS FO ON A DC-9. INSIDE THE MM WE WERE PLACED INTO AN IMMEDIATE 90 DEG BANK TO THE R; ABOUT 100 FT ABOVE THE GND. THE CAPT APPLIED FULL PWR AND CORRECTIVE CTLS AND EXECUTED A SUCCESSFUL GAR. THE WX WAS CLR WITH A VERY LIGHT BREEZE. THE ACFT WE WERE FOLLOWING; AT NORMAL SPACING; WAS A B-727. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED IN 1975. I HAVE TREATED ALL JET ACFT WITH RESPECT EVER SINCE; REGARDLESS OF SIZE. I AM PRESENTLY INSTRUCTING LIGHT AIRPLANE CFI AND CFII STUDENTS. MY MAIN THEME IS; IF YOU ARE IN A LIGHT ACFT; TREAT ALL AIRPLANES KING AIR SIZE OR LARGER AS IF THEY WERE ALL 747'S. YOUR LIGHT ACFT MIGHT NOT PASS THROUGH THE TURB FAST ENOUGH TO RECOVER.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.