Narrative:

We departed lfpo to jfk at approximately AM30 local in a B747-100. Shortly after reaching initial cruise altitude of FL310, a few mi east of left'engle VOR, we encountered 2 or 3 sharp vertical wind (?) gusts, approximating moderate to severe chop. There was no other traffic in sight. We heard no other traffic in the area (speaking english, at least -- often other area traffic will speak in french -- who knows where or what they are doing!) and the air was calm, ride smooth. ATC did not alert us to any other traffic. The turbulence was consistent with wake turbulence. No corrective action was required. Our gross weight at the time was approximately 695000 pounds. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is a captain on a B747-100 and he was cruising at FL310 when his aircraft encountered a series of strong jolts. He thinks that he hit as many as 3, but probably less than 5, of these jolts and he felt that they were the result of flying through some aircraft's wake. He asked the lfff ARTCC controller, but the controller would not respond to his questions. The reporter alleged that this is not unusual in this control area. He said that the jolts were similar to previous wake encounters he has experienced. The reporter requested copies of the ASRS's structured wake turbulence callback reports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B747-100 FLC RPTS ENCOUNTERING SEVERAL JOLTS THAT THEY INTERPRETED TO BE WAKE TURB BASED ON PAST ENCOUNTERS, BUT WHEN THEY QUESTIONED THE ARTCC CTLR ABOUT PRECEDING TFC, HE WOULD NOT RESPOND.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED LFPO TO JFK AT APPROX AM30 LCL IN A B747-100. SHORTLY AFTER REACHING INITIAL CRUISE ALT OF FL310, A FEW MI E OF L'ENGLE VOR, WE ENCOUNTERED 2 OR 3 SHARP VERT WIND (?) GUSTS, APPROXIMATING MODERATE TO SEVERE CHOP. THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC IN SIGHT. WE HEARD NO OTHER TFC IN THE AREA (SPEAKING ENGLISH, AT LEAST -- OFTEN OTHER AREA TFC WILL SPEAK IN FRENCH -- WHO KNOWS WHERE OR WHAT THEY ARE DOING!) AND THE AIR WAS CALM, RIDE SMOOTH. ATC DID NOT ALERT US TO ANY OTHER TFC. THE TURB WAS CONSISTENT WITH WAKE TURB. NO CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS REQUIRED. OUR GROSS WT AT THE TIME WAS APPROX 695000 LBS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A CAPT ON A B747-100 AND HE WAS CRUISING AT FL310 WHEN HIS ACFT ENCOUNTERED A SERIES OF STRONG JOLTS. HE THINKS THAT HE HIT AS MANY AS 3, BUT PROBABLY LESS THAN 5, OF THESE JOLTS AND HE FELT THAT THEY WERE THE RESULT OF FLYING THROUGH SOME ACFT'S WAKE. HE ASKED THE LFFF ARTCC CTLR, BUT THE CTLR WOULD NOT RESPOND TO HIS QUESTIONS. THE RPTR ALLEGED THAT THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL IN THIS CTL AREA. HE SAID THAT THE JOLTS WERE SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS WAKE ENCOUNTERS HE HAS EXPERIENCED. THE RPTR REQUESTED COPIES OF THE ASRS'S STRUCTURED WAKE TURB CALLBACK RPTS.

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.