Narrative:

As is their normal operational procedure, atl approach had us joining final with a legally required spacing behind a B767, but 1000 ft below their flight path with winds directly off the nose (270 degrees, 13 KTS, gusting to 18 KTS). This puts us 6 mi behind and directly below a heavy jet. Just prior to GS intercept, aircraft experiences a prestall buffet while indicating 170 KTS. Immediate increase in power, but left wing did stall and aircraft rolled violently left and pitched nose down. Amount of altitude loss unknown. Full opposite rudder and aileron and full power finally brought wings level. Just as aircraft began to stabilize and climb, right wing entered some wake and caused violent roll right and pitch down. After stabilizing, crew turned aircraft 90 degrees left, heading 180 degrees, and initiated full power go around. Aircraft was grounded by maintenance after landing and underwent turbulence inspections and engine limitation check. No engine parameters exceeded, unknown outcome on turbulence inspection. Subsequent phone call to atl tower unsatisfactory. No valid or reasonable explanation offered as to why atl continues this practice of putting commuter aircraft in trail at altitudes below large or heavy aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states this was a very disturbing experience and he will no longer accept an altitude below a jet aircraft when on approach. He feels the best solution would be to bring the jets in below the turboprops instead of the current procedure of keeping the smaller aircraft low. His company talked to the tower supervisor regarding this incident without much success. The company safety officer worked with union and took the incident to washington, dc. Then it came back to the tower chief who indicated there was training at the time. However, this has been the practice at atl, not the exception. The aircraft was found to have exceeded G tolerances and was grounded for inspection. Passenger were very upset and distressed and 1 teenager went absolutely ballistic when the incident occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB120 FLC ENCOUNTERS WAKE TURB ON APCH IN TRAIL OF A B767. ACFT EXCEEDED G FORCE PARAMETERS AND WAS REMOVED FROM SVC FOR INSPECTION.

Narrative: AS IS THEIR NORMAL OPERATIONAL PROC, ATL APCH HAD US JOINING FINAL WITH A LEGALLY REQUIRED SPACING BEHIND A B767, BUT 1000 FT BELOW THEIR FLT PATH WITH WINDS DIRECTLY OFF THE NOSE (270 DEGS, 13 KTS, GUSTING TO 18 KTS). THIS PUTS US 6 MI BEHIND AND DIRECTLY BELOW A HVY JET. JUST PRIOR TO GS INTERCEPT, ACFT EXPERIENCES A PRESTALL BUFFET WHILE INDICATING 170 KTS. IMMEDIATE INCREASE IN PWR, BUT L WING DID STALL AND ACFT ROLLED VIOLENTLY L AND PITCHED NOSE DOWN. AMOUNT OF ALT LOSS UNKNOWN. FULL OPPOSITE RUDDER AND AILERON AND FULL PWR FINALLY BROUGHT WINGS LEVEL. JUST AS ACFT BEGAN TO STABILIZE AND CLB, R WING ENTERED SOME WAKE AND CAUSED VIOLENT ROLL R AND PITCH DOWN. AFTER STABILIZING, CREW TURNED ACFT 90 DEGS L, HDG 180 DEGS, AND INITIATED FULL PWR GAR. ACFT WAS GNDED BY MAINT AFTER LNDG AND UNDERWENT TURB INSPECTIONS AND ENG LIMITATION CHK. NO ENG PARAMETERS EXCEEDED, UNKNOWN OUTCOME ON TURB INSPECTION. SUBSEQUENT PHONE CALL TO ATL TWR UNSATISFACTORY. NO VALID OR REASONABLE EXPLANATION OFFERED AS TO WHY ATL CONTINUES THIS PRACTICE OF PUTTING COMMUTER ACFT IN TRAIL AT ALTS BELOW LARGE OR HVY ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THIS WAS A VERY DISTURBING EXPERIENCE AND HE WILL NO LONGER ACCEPT AN ALT BELOW A JET ACFT WHEN ON APCH. HE FEELS THE BEST SOLUTION WOULD BE TO BRING THE JETS IN BELOW THE TURBOPROPS INSTEAD OF THE CURRENT PROC OF KEEPING THE SMALLER ACFT LOW. HIS COMPANY TALKED TO THE TWR SUPVR REGARDING THIS INCIDENT WITHOUT MUCH SUCCESS. THE COMPANY SAFETY OFFICER WORKED WITH UNION AND TOOK THE INCIDENT TO WASHINGTON, DC. THEN IT CAME BACK TO THE TWR CHIEF WHO INDICATED THERE WAS TRAINING AT THE TIME. HOWEVER, THIS HAS BEEN THE PRACTICE AT ATL, NOT THE EXCEPTION. THE ACFT WAS FOUND TO HAVE EXCEEDED G TOLERANCES AND WAS GNDED FOR INSPECTION. PAX WERE VERY UPSET AND DISTRESSED AND 1 TEENAGER WENT ABSOLUTELY BALLISTIC WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED.

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.