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Wake turbulence encountered by a climbing MD80 behind and below a preceding B737 on frequency with ZOB.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 633241 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200410 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zob.artcc |
| State Reference | OH |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 34400 msl bound upper : 34600 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zob.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zob.artcc |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 633241 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : wake turbulence other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : executed go around other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Environmental Factor Airspace Structure |
| Primary Problem | Environmental Factor |
Narrative:
We were step climbing from FL310 to FL350 in smooth air with no reported turbulence along our route. We were 10 mi in trail of another aircraft at FL350. While climbing at mach .76, at approximately FL346 we encountered moderate turbulence with a noticeable rolling motion. The progress of our climb stopped, the indicated mach fluctuated +/-.10 mach. The first officer, who was flying the airplane, disconnected the autoplt in an attempt to control the aircraft and climb through the turbulence. I turned on the seat belt sign and made a PA for the flight attendants to immediately take their seats. The climb continued to stagnate and the turbulence continued as our mach decreased. We informed ATC that we had flown into an encounter with moderate turbulence and that we were descending. ATC cleared us back to FL310. The turbulence stopped as we descended through approximately FL344. We continued the descent to FL310 in smooth air. I called the flight attendants to check on the situation in the cabin and for any possible injuries. There were no injuries reported and the cabin was secure. Level at FL310, I released the flight attendants and turned the seat belt sign off. We informed ATC that we thought we had experienced a wake turbulence encounter. We asked ATC what type of aircraft we were following and were told it was a 500 series B737. I was surprised, expecting to learn that the proceeding aircraft was a wbd of some sort.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: WAKE TURB ENCOUNTERED BY A CLBING MD80 BEHIND AND BELOW A PRECEDING B737 ON FREQ WITH ZOB.
Narrative: WE WERE STEP CLBING FROM FL310 TO FL350 IN SMOOTH AIR WITH NO RPTED TURB ALONG OUR RTE. WE WERE 10 MI IN TRAIL OF ANOTHER ACFT AT FL350. WHILE CLBING AT MACH .76, AT APPROX FL346 WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB WITH A NOTICEABLE ROLLING MOTION. THE PROGRESS OF OUR CLB STOPPED, THE INDICATED MACH FLUCTUATED +/-.10 MACH. THE FO, WHO WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE, DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT IN AN ATTEMPT TO CTL THE ACFT AND CLB THROUGH THE TURB. I TURNED ON THE SEAT BELT SIGN AND MADE A PA FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO IMMEDIATELY TAKE THEIR SEATS. THE CLB CONTINUED TO STAGNATE AND THE TURB CONTINUED AS OUR MACH DECREASED. WE INFORMED ATC THAT WE HAD FLOWN INTO AN ENCOUNTER WITH MODERATE TURB AND THAT WE WERE DSNDING. ATC CLRED US BACK TO FL310. THE TURB STOPPED AS WE DSNDED THROUGH APPROX FL344. WE CONTINUED THE DSCNT TO FL310 IN SMOOTH AIR. I CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO CHK ON THE SIT IN THE CABIN AND FOR ANY POSSIBLE INJURIES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES RPTED AND THE CABIN WAS SECURE. LEVEL AT FL310, I RELEASED THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND TURNED THE SEAT BELT SIGN OFF. WE INFORMED ATC THAT WE THOUGHT WE HAD EXPERIENCED A WAKE TURB ENCOUNTER. WE ASKED ATC WHAT TYPE OF ACFT WE WERE FOLLOWING AND WERE TOLD IT WAS A 500 SERIES B737. I WAS SURPRISED, EXPECTING TO LEARN THAT THE PROCEEDING ACFT WAS A WBD OF SOME SORT.
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.