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C182 pilot reported the aircraft was damaged following a wake turbulence encounter with a C-17 in the vicinity of edf.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1581617 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201809 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801-2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | LHD.Airport |
| State Reference | AK |
| Environment | |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | Initial Approach |
| Route In Use | Visual Approach |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Globemaster (C-17) |
| Flight Phase | Final Approach |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Pilot Flying Single Pilot |
| Qualification | Dispatch Dispatcher Flight Crew Private |
| Experience | Dispatch Dispatch 28 Flight Crew Last 90 Days 45 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical Inflight Event / Encounter Wake Vortex Encounter |
Narrative:
I was returning to lake hood strip when I contacted lhd tower. They informed me of a C17 on approach to elmendorf AFB; caution wake turbulence. At that point I called the tower and requested a 360 for separation which is standard practice entering lhd airspace. I made a 180 and flew north for a bit admiring the view of denali then continued the turn toward lhd. I crossed the north shore of cook inlet just west of point mackenzie at 1100 ft; 3.6 miles behind the C17 according to radar data. About mid-channel I hit the wake turbulence from the C17. It was the most violent turbulence I have ever experienced. May have lasted for a second but caused substantial damage to the aircraft. Both bottom wing skins are wrinkled and spars are cracked. I was light; 1 passenger and 20 gallon gas onboard. If I was at gross I don't believe we would be having this discussion. I have been flying out of lhd for over thirty years without incident. Is the C17 to blame or does the approach need to be changed; I don't know.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: C182 pilot reported the aircraft was damaged following a wake turbulence encounter with a C-17 in the vicinity of EDF.
Narrative: I was returning to Lake Hood strip when I contacted LHD Tower. They informed me of a C17 on approach to Elmendorf AFB; caution wake turbulence. At that point I called the Tower and requested a 360 for separation which is standard practice entering LHD airspace. I made a 180 and flew north for a bit admiring the view of Denali then continued the turn toward LHD. I crossed the north shore of Cook Inlet just west of Point Mackenzie at 1100 ft; 3.6 miles behind the C17 according to radar data. About mid-channel I hit the wake turbulence from the C17. It was the most violent turbulence I have ever experienced. May have lasted for a second but caused substantial damage to the aircraft. Both bottom wing skins are wrinkled and spars are cracked. I was light; 1 passenger and 20 gallon gas onboard. If I was at gross I don't believe we would be having this discussion. I have been flying out of LHD for over thirty years without incident. Is the C17 to blame or does the approach need to be changed; I don't know.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.