B737-700 flight crew reported encountering wake turbulence from a preceding B747 on arrival into atl...

Attributes
ACN	1624814
Time
Date	201903
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ATL.Airport
State Reference	GA
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Approach
Route In Use	STAR HOBTT TWO
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	B747 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	First Officer Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 391 Flight Crew Type 6000
Person 2
Function	Captain Pilot Not Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 292
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural Clearance Inflight Event / Encounter Wake Vortex Encounter

Narrative:

On the hobtt arrival into atl; we encountered wake turbulence from [a] B747 twice. Subsequently; the first atl approach controller slowed us down to 210 knots due to the B747 in front of us. I slowed down; and shallowed out the descent rate to avoid any more encounters. On downwind; we were experiencing quartering tailwinds. Abeam the airport; the next controller's supervisor or monitor position broke into approach's transmissions and told us that our descent rate was unacceptable and warned that if we didn't get down that we would have to do a 25-mile final. She seemed very upset. I felt; at that point; we would not get into the wake upset anymore since [the other] aircraft got cleared a few minutes prior. I then increased the descent rate. I am very familiar with the downwind descent rates needed in atl. The captain and I have both experienced wake turbulence in the past. I felt it was safe to do a shallow descent to avoid further encounter. Even the prior controller cautioned us of the B747 in front of us. I felt that the monitor/supervisor that got upset with us should have communicated this to us. It's great for ATC to get numerous aircraft into a large terminal facility very quickly. But more importantly it is better to avoid a wake turbulence encounter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 flight crew reported encountering wake turbulence from a preceding B747 on arrival into ATL.

Narrative: On the HOBTT Arrival into ATL; we encountered wake turbulence from [a] B747 twice. Subsequently; the first ATL Approach Controller slowed us down to 210 knots due to the B747 in front of us. I slowed down; and shallowed out the descent rate to avoid any more encounters. On downwind; we were experiencing quartering tailwinds. Abeam the airport; the next controller's Supervisor or Monitor position broke into Approach's transmissions and told us that our descent rate was unacceptable and warned that if we didn't get down that we would have to do a 25-mile final. She seemed very upset. I felt; at that point; we would not get into the wake upset anymore since [the other] aircraft got cleared a few minutes prior. I then increased the descent rate. I am very familiar with the downwind descent rates needed in ATL. The Captain and I have both experienced wake turbulence in the past. I felt it was safe to do a shallow descent to avoid further encounter. Even the prior Controller cautioned us of the B747 in front of us. I felt that the Monitor/Supervisor that got upset with us should have communicated this to us. It's great for ATC to get numerous aircraft into a large terminal facility very quickly. But more importantly it is better to avoid a wake turbulence encounter.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.