FLC OF AN EMBRAER BRASILIA; E120; ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURB ON AN ILS FINAL TWICE JUST PRIOR TO ENTERING AN UNDERCAST WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY CAUSED THEM TO MAKE A MISSED APCH. THE RPTR OF THIS EVENT WAS A PAX PLT SEATED IN THE CABIN.

Date: 1997-10 · Aircraft: Brasilia EMB-120 All Series · Phase: approach

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

Synopsis

FLC OF AN EMBRAER BRASILIA; E120; ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURB ON AN ILS FINAL TWICE JUST PRIOR TO ENTERING AN UNDERCAST WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY CAUSED THEM TO MAKE A MISSED APCH. THE RPTR OF THIS EVENT WAS A PAX PLT SEATED IN THE CABIN.

Narrative

ON OCT/XX/97 I WAS A JUMP SEAT RIDER ON A FLT FROM BFL TO LAX. THE WX AT LAX WAS 700 FT TOPS WITH LOW FOG IN THE COASTAL LAX AREA. FROM ABOVE; THE LIGHTS OF THE CITY WERE TOTALLY OBSCURED IN SOME AREAS; WITH POCKETS OF LESS DENSE FOG BLANKETING THE ENTIRE AREA. AT A GLANCE IT WAS APPARENT THAT AN APCH WOULD BE TO MINIMUMS. WHILE DSNDING ON GS (I WAS SEATED IN CABIN) AT WHAT I CONJECTURE WAS SOME 1000-1500 FT MSL; WE ENCOUNTERED A WAKE TURB UPSET. EVEN FROM THE BACK I COULD FEEL THE TELL-TALE RISE; FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY SOMETHING SHORT OF VIOLENT WING ROCKING; DESTABILIZED FLT. MY REASONS FOR SUBMITTING THE RPT ARE TWO PART: THE TWR DID NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE SPACING; WHICH CAN HAPPEN. MY GREATER CONCERN IS THAT THE PLT; AFTER UPSET RECOVERY; SOME 500 FT PRIOR TO ENTERING SOLID UNDERCAST; ELECTED TO RECOVER AND PURSUE THE APCH. THE INEVITABLE; AND FORESEEABLE CONSEQUENCE WAS ANOTHER UPSET JUST PRIOR TO IMC ENTRY; FOLLOWED BY CONTINUED DSCNT TO A MISSED APCH. AS A PLT SITTING IN THE BACK WITH FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE OF WAKE TURB UPSET; I WAS SCARED! I ADMIT I DON'T HAVE ALL THE FACTS THE CREW HAD; BUT I WOULD RECOMMEND A REVIEW OF THEIR STABILIZED APCH POLICY; AND REINFORCEMENT OF THE DANGER OF WAKE TURB; PARTICULARLY IN IMC; NEAR THE GND. AT THE LEAST; THE PLT'S CHOICE TO PURSUE THE APCH BY REACQUIRING GS INTERCEPT WAS IMPRUDENT.

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