AN ACR MD88 FLC HITS THE WAKE OF A B727 DURING LEVELOFF AT FL310. THE MD88 ROLLED 20 DEGS TO THE R AND THE RPTR SAID THAT HE USED ALMOST FULL AILERON TRAVEL TO ARREST THE ROLL MOMENT.

Narrative

IN A CRUISE CLB FROM FL280 TO FL310; WE ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURB JUST PRIOR TO LEVELOFF AT FL310. THE ACFT AHEAD WAS RPTED BY ZJX TO BE A B727 IN A CLB FROM FL310 TO FL350. THAT ACFT WAS 8 MI AHEAD OF US AT THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE. ACFT ATTITUDE CHANGED FROM WINGS LEVEL TO 20 DEG ANGLE OF BANK; R WING DOWN BEFORE I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT. I USED ALMOST FULL YOKE DEFLECTION TO THE L AS THE WAKE TURB INCREASED. WINDS AT ALT WERE LIGHT (LESS THAN 20 KTS) AND IT WAS CLR AND SMOOTH. WE COULD SEE THE B727'S SMOKE TRAIL AS WE ENTERED IT. IT WAS QUITE SURPRISING THAT AN ACFT OF SIMILAR WT COULD CAUSE THAT MUCH WAKE TURB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS FO OF AN ACR MD88 FLC SAID THAT HE SAW THE THIN SMOKE TRAIL OF A PRECEDING ACFT; BUT DID NOT THINK MUCH ABOUT IT AS HIS ACFT APCHED LEVELOFF AT FL310. JUST AS HE WAS PUSHING THE NOSE DOWN TO LEVEL; THE ACFT SEEMED TO SINK; ALTHOUGH NO ALT WAS LOST AND IT STARTED A RAPID ROLL TO THE R. HE SAID THAT HE PUT IN ALMOST ALL OF THE AVAILABLE AILERON TRAVEL TO THE L TO STOP THE ROLL. AFTER THIS ONE INCIDENT; NO FURTHER WAKE WAS FOUND. THE RPTR SAID THAT HE WOULD ATTEMPT TO AVOID VISIBLE WAKE INDICATIONS IN THE FUTURE.