<< >> NASA ASRS Report 260416, January 1994

Small aircraft encounters severe turbulence on takeoff due to jet blast from aircraft testing engines near departure end of runway.

Attributes
ACN	260416
Time
Date	199401
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lgb
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lgb tower : lax
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Piper Aircraft Corp Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	McDonnell Douglas Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	other : other
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : holding
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time total : 700
ASRS Report	260416
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Long beach tower was advised of C-17 running engines adjacent to runway 25L/7R active runway, company ground crew testing a c- 17. Winds were below 4 KTS (calm) VFR. Cessna 172 was cleared to land runway 7R. Aborted landing due to severe turbulence from C-17 engine blast 90 degrees across runway at threshold. I was cleared to takeoff runway 25L. Aware of jet blast from C-17 across departure end, I executed short field takeoff, maximum climb. At departure end 500 ft AGL, encountered severe turbulence and had to fight to control aircraft. Advised tower and they closed runway 27L. Manufacturer was doing engine tests on C-17 with no blast fence and with aircraft pointing n-s with jet blast across active runway. They did not advise tower other than that engines would be at idle. Obviously they were doing run-ups. Much better communication needed between runup crew and ATC. With current wake turbulence problems, we didn't need this.

Related reports:

• A rotary winged aircraft encounters departure traffic off ru...
• B737-300 on departure encounters wake turbulence from the pr...
• Pilot of an small aircraft sel on short flight encounters un...
• A B737-400 flight crew flies too close to a thunderstorm dur...

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.37000feet.com

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENCOUNTERS SEVERE TURB ON TKOF DUE TO JET BLAST FROM ACFT TESTING ENGS NEAR DEP END OF RWY.

Narrative: LONG BEACH TWR WAS ADVISED OF C-17 RUNNING ENGS ADJACENT TO RWY 25L/7R ACTIVE RWY, COMPANY GND CREW TESTING A C- 17. WINDS WERE BELOW 4 KTS (CALM) VFR. CESSNA 172 WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 7R. ABORTED LNDG DUE TO SEVERE TURB FROM C-17 ENG BLAST 90 DEGS ACROSS RWY AT THRESHOLD. I WAS CLRED TO TKOF RWY 25L. AWARE OF JET BLAST FROM C-17 ACROSS DEP END, I EXECUTED SHORT FIELD TKOF, MAX CLB. AT DEP END 500 FT AGL, ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB AND HAD TO FIGHT TO CTL ACFT. ADVISED TWR AND THEY CLOSED RWY 27L. MANUFACTURER WAS DOING ENG TESTS ON C-17 WITH NO BLAST FENCE AND WITH ACFT POINTING N-S WITH JET BLAST ACROSS ACTIVE RWY. THEY DID NOT ADVISE TWR OTHER THAN THAT ENGS WOULD BE AT IDLE. OBVIOUSLY THEY WERE DOING RUN-UPS. MUCH BETTER COM NEEDED BTWN RUNUP CREW AND ATC. WITH CURRENT WAKE TURB PROBS, WE DIDN'T NEED THIS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.