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PA32 on approach behind a departing P2V fire bomber very heavy, encountered wake turbulence at flare and initiated a go around, nearly losing control. Thought crosswind would dissipate the wake of the departing neptune.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 362936 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199606 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cdc |
| State Reference | UT |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 10 agl bound upper : 10 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zlc |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Military Transport |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial climbout : takeoff |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 2150 flight time type : 600 |
| ASRS Report | 362936 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter other non adherence : published procedure other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : regained aircraft control other |
| Consequence | other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 15000 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
1) voice from neptune taxiing out (on CTAF) 'really heavy, long takeoff.' 2) wind strong and gusty, slight right xcomponent. 3) PA32 entered wide right base, another fire bomber inbound behind us. 4) neptune and its shadow still right together approximately 1 mi out. 5) just as we flared, sudden roll to left. Despite hard right rudder and aileron, we flew off to left, barely missing a runway distance remaining sign. Went around and landed ok. Analysis -- chain of events: long, tiring, slow VFR flight to cdc from rock springs, wy. 40 KT DME headwind, turbulence. Wanted to be on the ground. Fuel state near legal reserve, about 1 hour. Bomber ahead very heavy, another one inbound behind us. Thought tbc would disperse wake. Wrong decision! Obviously the neptune's right wing vortex drifted to runway center and caught us just as we flared. Corrective action: was proper but barely succeeded. Full right aileron and rudder, full power. Fortunately we had only 1/2 (25 degrees) flaps and extra speed, but our left wing still came perilously close to hitting that runway distance marker. Affecting factors: wake vortex extended for mi, despite strong and very turbulent surface wind. Neptune was still only about 500 ft AGL when 2+ mi ahead of us. Data: a flight service specialist was out observing WX and saw the incident. Commented strongly.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PA32 ON APCH BEHIND A DEPARTING P2V FIRE BOMBER VERY HVY, ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURB AT FLARE AND INITIATED A GAR, NEARLY LOSING CTL. THOUGHT XWIND WOULD DISSIPATE THE WAKE OF THE DEPARTING NEPTUNE.
Narrative: 1) VOICE FROM NEPTUNE TAXIING OUT (ON CTAF) 'REALLY HVY, LONG TKOF.' 2) WIND STRONG AND GUSTY, SLIGHT R XCOMPONENT. 3) PA32 ENTERED WIDE R BASE, ANOTHER FIRE BOMBER INBOUND BEHIND US. 4) NEPTUNE AND ITS SHADOW STILL RIGHT TOGETHER APPROX 1 MI OUT. 5) JUST AS WE FLARED, SUDDEN ROLL TO L. DESPITE HARD R RUDDER AND AILERON, WE FLEW OFF TO L, BARELY MISSING A RWY DISTANCE REMAINING SIGN. WENT AROUND AND LANDED OK. ANALYSIS -- CHAIN OF EVENTS: LONG, TIRING, SLOW VFR FLT TO CDC FROM ROCK SPRINGS, WY. 40 KT DME HEADWIND, TURB. WANTED TO BE ON THE GND. FUEL STATE NEAR LEGAL RESERVE, ABOUT 1 HR. BOMBER AHEAD VERY HVY, ANOTHER ONE INBOUND BEHIND US. THOUGHT TBC WOULD DISPERSE WAKE. WRONG DECISION! OBVIOUSLY THE NEPTUNE'S R WING VORTEX DRIFTED TO RWY CTR AND CAUGHT US JUST AS WE FLARED. CORRECTIVE ACTION: WAS PROPER BUT BARELY SUCCEEDED. FULL R AILERON AND RUDDER, FULL PWR. FORTUNATELY WE HAD ONLY 1/2 (25 DEGS) FLAPS AND EXTRA SPD, BUT OUR L WING STILL CAME PERILOUSLY CLOSE TO HITTING THAT RWY DISTANCE MARKER. AFFECTING FACTORS: WAKE VORTEX EXTENDED FOR MI, DESPITE STRONG AND VERY TURBULENT SURFACE WIND. NEPTUNE WAS STILL ONLY ABOUT 500 FT AGL WHEN 2+ MI AHEAD OF US. DATA: A FLT SVC SPECIALIST WAS OUT OBSERVING WX AND SAW THE INCIDENT. COMMENTED STRONGLY.
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.