AN SMA (CE182) FLYING IN SUU; CA; AIRSPACE ENCOUNTERS WAKE TURB PASSING ABOVE AND BEHIND A KC10.
Synopsis
AN SMA (CE182) FLYING IN SUU; CA; AIRSPACE ENCOUNTERS WAKE TURB PASSING ABOVE AND BEHIND A KC10.
Narrative
TRAVIS HAD ME ON FLT FOLLOWING; HAD KC10 ON FINAL FOR TRAVIS. CLRED BOTH OF US AT OUR ALTS -- NO WAKE TURB WARNING/CAUTION. I FLEW 400-500 FT ABOVE PATH OF KC10; HIT WAKE TURB; CONCUSSION UP AND DOWN. ALL UNSTRAPPED CARGO HIT CEILING. BROKE PLASTIC BOTTLE WITH FORCE. DROVE YOKE LOCK OUT OF SEAT POCKET INTO SUITCASE. FLT MANUAL SCATTERED ON FLOOR. I CHKED (BEST POSSIBLE) FOR AIRWORTHINESS; MADE LNDG AT DAVIS. CONTACTED TRAVIS APCH. IMMEDIATELY THEY CONCURRED I WAS 400-500 FT ABOVE KC10 PATH AT TIME. COULD HAVE EASILY FLIPPED THE C182. WAKE TURB SHOULD FALL? I CONTACTED FAA RANCHO AND TRAVIS SUPVR; NO RECORDINGS OF RADAR TO CHK BOTH ALTS. I HAD A CLR VIEW OF THE KC10 PATH AND MAINTAINED WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE AMPLE CLRNC ABOVE ITS PATH (400-500 FT). KC10 LNDG AT TRAVIS AT APPROX 2000 FT. HOW FAR ABOVE FLT PATH SHOULD WE BE TO AVOID WAKE TURB ON A KC10. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR PARTICIPATED IN THE STRUCTURED WAKE TURB CALLBACK PROGRAM. RPTR FELT CONFIDENT HE WOULD NOT ENCOUNTER ANY WAKE TURB FROM PRECEDING HVY ACFT AS HE WAS 400-500 FT HIGHER THAN THE KC10. WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED THE WAKE; IT WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO BREAK A PLASTIC BOTTLE AND HAMMER THE PLT WITH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE FORCES. PLT WAS CONCERNED THE ACFT HAD BEEN DAMAGED AND HAD A MECH HELP HIM POSTFLT THE ACFT TO CHK FOR ANY STRUCTURAL STRESS INDICATIONS. PLT FELT THE WINGS MIGHT BE COMING OFF OF THE ACFT. PLT FELT THERE WASN'T GOOD WARNING OF THE WAKE TURB AND WANTED BETTER INFO AS TO WHERE THE WAKE WAS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.