Narrative:

Atx X, a PA31, crossed the flight path of air carrier Y MD11, less than 1000 ft and 5 mi behind. Pilot of navajo claimed he encountered wake turbulence that damaged his aircraft. Each aircraft was under the control of a different sector. The navajo was voluntarily participating in class C service, outside the inner and outer circles. The anc tower quality assurance specialist advised me that this loss of separation occurs many times an hour -- that no satisfactory procedure exists to prevent it. Contributing factors: just received position from another controller who was using limited data block display of final radar aircraft Y. Air taxi operators have for yrs insisted to travel the shoreline 4 mi north of anc at 1000 ft MSL, forever conflicting with runway 32 departures and runway 14 arrs. WX information display (ids-4) was OTS causing me to leave position to seek WX information across the room when I should have been issuing traffic. I had just assumed improperly set up position -- no WX, no display of final radar data. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the pilot was not given an advisory and may not have seen the MD11 until after the event. The reporter said the PA31, inbound to mri, at 900 ft, had crossed 2.4 NM behind the MD11. The MD11 had been at 1200 ft. The PA31 sustained severe wrinkling on both wings. The reporter stated the PA31 has filed a suit against the FAA and that the NTSB is investigating the incident. The controller said the facility is conducting a quality assurance review of the incident because facility procedures may not have been followed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA31 AT ANC CROSSES UNDER THE ARR PATH OF AN MD11 AND ENCOUNTERS WAKE TURB THAT CAUSES CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT.

Narrative: ATX X, A PA31, CROSSED THE FLT PATH OF ACR Y MD11, LESS THAN 1000 FT AND 5 MI BEHIND. PLT OF NAVAJO CLAIMED HE ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURB THAT DAMAGED HIS ACFT. EACH ACFT WAS UNDER THE CTL OF A DIFFERENT SECTOR. THE NAVAJO WAS VOLUNTARILY PARTICIPATING IN CLASS C SVC, OUTSIDE THE INNER AND OUTER CIRCLES. THE ANC TWR QUALITY ASSURANCE SPECIALIST ADVISED ME THAT THIS LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURS MANY TIMES AN HR -- THAT NO SATISFACTORY PROC EXISTS TO PREVENT IT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: JUST RECEIVED POS FROM ANOTHER CTLR WHO WAS USING LIMITED DATA BLOCK DISPLAY OF FINAL RADAR ACFT Y. AIR TAXI OPERATORS HAVE FOR YRS INSISTED TO TRAVEL THE SHORELINE 4 MI N OF ANC AT 1000 FT MSL, FOREVER CONFLICTING WITH RWY 32 DEPS AND RWY 14 ARRS. WX INFO DISPLAY (IDS-4) WAS OTS CAUSING ME TO LEAVE POS TO SEEK WX INFO ACROSS THE ROOM WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUING TFC. I HAD JUST ASSUMED IMPROPERLY SET UP POS -- NO WX, NO DISPLAY OF FINAL RADAR DATA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE PLT WAS NOT GIVEN AN ADVISORY AND MAY NOT HAVE SEEN THE MD11 UNTIL AFTER THE EVENT. THE RPTR SAID THE PA31, INBOUND TO MRI, AT 900 FT, HAD CROSSED 2.4 NM BEHIND THE MD11. THE MD11 HAD BEEN AT 1200 FT. THE PA31 SUSTAINED SEVERE WRINKLING ON BOTH WINGS. THE RPTR STATED THE PA31 HAS FILED A SUIT AGAINST THE FAA AND THAT THE NTSB IS INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT. THE CTLR SAID THE FACILITY IS CONDUCTING A QUALITY ASSURANCE REVIEW OF THE INCIDENT BECAUSE FACILITY PROCS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FOLLOWED.

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.