A corporate jet encountered wake turbulence on arrival to ADS five miles in trail of a B747. The encounter resulted in a violent roll to the left.

Date: 2011-07 · Aircraft: Citation Excel (C560XL) · Phase: descent

Anomalies: inflight-event-encounter-wake-vortex-encounter

Synopsis

A corporate jet encountered wake turbulence on arrival to ADS five miles in trail of a B747. The encounter resulted in a violent roll to the left.

Narrative

We were approaching DELMO Intersection on the JEN.JEN9 arrival to ADS airport. About 1 mile before reaching DELMO we began slowing from 250 KTS to the published speed of 210 KTS that is required over DELMO and at the same time; ATC advised that we were 5 miles behind a B747 and issued a clearance to descend to 5;000 FT. I slowed down IMMEDIATELY to increase the separation as much as I could possibly do; but when we rolled wings level on the northerly heading after passing DELMO; we immediately encountered the wake of the B747. We rolled to the right and then violently rolled to the left. I immediately applied power to arrest the descent and climb back up to 6;000 FT. At 6;000 FT we were out if it. ATC gave us a vector to the east while the B747 continued its northerly track and then I resumed the descent to the east. Flight continued without incident. Contributing factors - I should have not accepted the descent after learning we were trailing a heavy aircraft so closely; and the Controller should have not issued one nor continued us on a course directly into the wake of a heavy aircraft.

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