Narrative:

We fly mdt aircraft into hartsfield int'l airport (atlanta, GA). The runway pattern there consists of 2 sets of parallel east/west runways, 27L/right on the south side and 26 left/right on the north side. Simultaneous apches are authorized. If there is a west operation in progress, you land 26R/27L and depart 27R/26L. We were approaching the airport from the south side, so air carrier X was assigned runway 27L. We were assigned an altitude of 3500 MSL while on the base leg approximately 16 mi out. This altitude put us 500' below air carrier Y, an large transport, at 4000' MSL 3 mi ahead of us. After we turned final (having been cleared for a visual approach to follow the large transport), we got established on the localizer and tracked it inbound. While still level at 3500' MSL, with our traffic still level at 4000' MSL ahead of us, we got hammered by wake turbulence. I requested a climb to 4000' to avoid wake turbulence and that request was approved. The controller said something like 'I didn't think large transport wake was that bad' and I said 'well, it is'. Our bank angle during the turbulence did not exceed 30 degree, and the winds were reported as 290 at 8 KTS. This situation happens on the south arrival into atl all the time, and because it is so common, few bother to report it. We (the propellers) are brought in either 500 or 1000' below the jets, either 3 mi or 5 mi behind the jets, and we get pounded by the wake turbulence. When we complain, we are told that it is necessary to bring us in below the preceding traffic in order to sequence us with the parallel traffic on the north side arrival! All they have to do is bring the jets in 500' below us. At the minimum they could bring us in at the same altitude as the jets to allow the vortices to sink but to bring us in below the jets is a dangerous procedure that is going to sooner or later put a planeload of people in jeopardy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURBULENCE FROM ACR Y ON APCH TO ATL. SITUATION: TURBOPROP ACFT ARE TURNED ONTO FINAL APCH 500' BELOW JET ACFT AT ATL ARPT CAUSING WAKE TURBULENCE ENCOUNTER.

Narrative: WE FLY MDT ACFT INTO HARTSFIELD INT'L ARPT (ATLANTA, GA). THE RWY PATTERN THERE CONSISTS OF 2 SETS OF PARALLEL E/W RWYS, 27L/R ON THE S SIDE AND 26 L/R ON THE N SIDE. SIMULTANEOUS APCHES ARE AUTHORIZED. IF THERE IS A W OPERATION IN PROGRESS, YOU LAND 26R/27L AND DEPART 27R/26L. WE WERE APCHING THE ARPT FROM THE S SIDE, SO ACR X WAS ASSIGNED RWY 27L. WE WERE ASSIGNED AN ALT OF 3500 MSL WHILE ON THE BASE LEG APPROX 16 MI OUT. THIS ALT PUT US 500' BELOW ACR Y, AN LGT, AT 4000' MSL 3 MI AHEAD OF US. AFTER WE TURNED FINAL (HAVING BEEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO FOLLOW THE LGT), WE GOT ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC AND TRACKED IT INBND. WHILE STILL LEVEL AT 3500' MSL, WITH OUR TFC STILL LEVEL AT 4000' MSL AHEAD OF US, WE GOT HAMMERED BY WAKE TURBULENCE. I REQUESTED A CLIMB TO 4000' TO AVOID WAKE TURBULENCE AND THAT REQUEST WAS APPROVED. THE CTLR SAID SOMETHING LIKE 'I DIDN'T THINK LGT WAKE WAS THAT BAD' AND I SAID 'WELL, IT IS'. OUR BANK ANGLE DURING THE TURBULENCE DID NOT EXCEED 30 DEG, AND THE WINDS WERE REPORTED AS 290 AT 8 KTS. THIS SITUATION HAPPENS ON THE S ARR INTO ATL ALL THE TIME, AND BECAUSE IT IS SO COMMON, FEW BOTHER TO REPORT IT. WE (THE PROPELLERS) ARE BROUGHT IN EITHER 500 OR 1000' BELOW THE JETS, EITHER 3 MI OR 5 MI BEHIND THE JETS, AND WE GET POUNDED BY THE WAKE TURBULENCE. WHEN WE COMPLAIN, WE ARE TOLD THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO BRING US IN BELOW THE PRECEDING TFC IN ORDER TO SEQUENCE US WITH THE PARALLEL TFC ON THE N SIDE ARR! ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS BRING THE JETS IN 500' BELOW US. AT THE MINIMUM THEY COULD BRING US IN AT THE SAME ALT AS THE JETS TO ALLOW THE VORTICES TO SINK BUT TO BRING US IN BELOW THE JETS IS A DANGEROUS PROC THAT IS GOING TO SOONER OR LATER PUT A PLANELOAD OF PEOPLE IN JEOPARDY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.