<< >> NASA ASRS Report 299491, August 1993

C-152 pilot experiences loss of aircraft control after wake turbulence encounter during visual approach.

Attributes
ACN	299491
Time
Date	199308
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bur
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bur
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Cessna 152
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time total : 145
ASRS Report	299491
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Returning to bur, I was directed into a straight-in approach to runway 15, and I was notified that a B-737 will pass me. I slowed the C-152, which I was flying, to open up the distance, and by the time I turned into a 5 mi final, the B-737 was not visible, and I could not see its touchdown point. As is my habit, due to the amount of traffic at bur, I accelerated my approach to 105 KTS. I had been warned 'caution wake turbulence' when I was sequenced, some 2 mins before, and I thought that separation was adequate even though I wondered whether I would still feel remnants of wake turbulence. At that point (some 4 1/2 mi out at about 2500 ft MSL, where the ground is, roughly, 1500 ft), the airplane was lifted suddenly and I was thrown from the seat, and then the airplane was dumped so violently that I found myself almost in a fetal position with my eye-level below the instrument panel. There was no rotation. As I recovered, an identical recurrence was experienced. All of that while I was above va. Since there was no rotation, I believe it was jet blast that had the form of twin waves. My solution is the following: if, in the pattern, when a large airplane crosses the threshold, I request a standard turn for wake turbulence separation (2 mins plus). If on a straight-in, when the large airplane passes me, I make the same request. I refuse to proceed otherwise.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C-152 PLT EXPERIENCES LOSS OF ACFT CTL AFTER WAKE TURB ENCOUNTER DURING VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: RETURNING TO BUR, I WAS DIRECTED INTO A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 15, AND I WAS NOTIFIED THAT A B-737 WILL PASS ME. I SLOWED THE C-152, WHICH I WAS FLYING, TO OPEN UP THE DISTANCE, AND BY THE TIME I TURNED INTO A 5 MI FINAL, THE B-737 WAS NOT VISIBLE, AND I COULD NOT SEE ITS TOUCHDOWN POINT. AS IS MY HABIT, DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF TFC AT BUR, I ACCELERATED MY APCH TO 105 KTS. I HAD BEEN WARNED 'CAUTION WAKE TURB' WHEN I WAS SEQUENCED, SOME 2 MINS BEFORE, AND I THOUGHT THAT SEPARATION WAS ADEQUATE EVEN THOUGH I WONDERED WHETHER I WOULD STILL FEEL REMNANTS OF WAKE TURB. AT THAT POINT (SOME 4 1/2 MI OUT AT ABOUT 2500 FT MSL, WHERE THE GND IS, ROUGHLY, 1500 FT), THE AIRPLANE WAS LIFTED SUDDENLY AND I WAS THROWN FROM THE SEAT, AND THEN THE AIRPLANE WAS DUMPED SO VIOLENTLY THAT I FOUND MYSELF ALMOST IN A FETAL POS WITH MY EYE-LEVEL BELOW THE INST PANEL. THERE WAS NO ROTATION. AS I RECOVERED, AN IDENTICAL RECURRENCE WAS EXPERIENCED. ALL OF THAT WHILE I WAS ABOVE VA. SINCE THERE WAS NO ROTATION, I BELIEVE IT WAS JET BLAST THAT HAD THE FORM OF TWIN WAVES. MY SOLUTION IS THE FOLLOWING: IF, IN THE PATTERN, WHEN A LARGE AIRPLANE CROSSES THE THRESHOLD, I REQUEST A STANDARD TURN FOR WAKE TURB SEPARATION (2 MINS PLUS). IF ON A STRAIGHT-IN, WHEN THE LARGE AIRPLANE PASSES ME, I MAKE THE SAME REQUEST. I REFUSE TO PROCEED OTHERWISE.

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.