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Pilot of an small aircraft single engine land private aircraft experienced wake turbulence on final approach from a B-757 that made approach 4 mins earlier.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 261470 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199401 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sna |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : sna |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : svfr |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | controller non radar : 9 flight time total : 125 flight time type : 50 |
| ASRS Report | 261470 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter other other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : regained aircraft control |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
I had just been to a safety seminar in riverside with my father. The subject -- 'on lndgs.' the FAA presentation dealt with avoiding long lndgs, and how to make a safe go around. Upon our return to sna, we decided to put our updated knowledge to good use. My father, in order to continue his night currency, elected to make an extra takeoff and landing. For this, we were given the left runway (19L), with a centerline 500 ft from 19R, the instrument runway. On downwind we were advised of a B-757 on approach to 19R. We had the aircraft in sight and elected to turn base so as to stay well clear, and above, the B-757 flight path. We both knew that with calm winds the left wingtip vortex would soon line itself up right over the left runway before dissipating. Therefore, we elected to go around. A good 3-4 mins after the B-757 arrival, we were turning final again, for the left runway. As we approached the threshold, we still encountered considerable turbulence. The air smoothed out over the runway and we landed without incident. As a controller, it is part of my job to keep track of time in certain sits, wake turbulence procedures being one of them. I highly recommend 2 things: as a pilot, be extra careful when landing on a runway which is parallel to another runway being used by large or heavy jets. We all know what wingtip vortices do when they are close to the ground. Stay aware of the elapsed time between you and a preceding large or heavy aircraft when in-trail spacing is not a factor, i.e., parallel runways, one runway being a 'pattern' runway, such as at sna.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF AN SMA SINGLE ENG LAND PVT ACFT EXPERIENCED WAKE TURB ON FINAL APCH FROM A B-757 THAT MADE APCH 4 MINS EARLIER.
Narrative: I HAD JUST BEEN TO A SAFETY SEMINAR IN RIVERSIDE WITH MY FATHER. THE SUBJECT -- 'ON LNDGS.' THE FAA PRESENTATION DEALT WITH AVOIDING LONG LNDGS, AND HOW TO MAKE A SAFE GAR. UPON OUR RETURN TO SNA, WE DECIDED TO PUT OUR UPDATED KNOWLEDGE TO GOOD USE. MY FATHER, IN ORDER TO CONTINUE HIS NIGHT CURRENCY, ELECTED TO MAKE AN EXTRA TKOF AND LNDG. FOR THIS, WE WERE GIVEN THE L RWY (19L), WITH A CTRLINE 500 FT FROM 19R, THE INST RWY. ON DOWNWIND WE WERE ADVISED OF A B-757 ON APCH TO 19R. WE HAD THE ACFT IN SIGHT AND ELECTED TO TURN BASE SO AS TO STAY WELL CLR, AND ABOVE, THE B-757 FLT PATH. WE BOTH KNEW THAT WITH CALM WINDS THE L WINGTIP VORTEX WOULD SOON LINE ITSELF UP RIGHT OVER THE L RWY BEFORE DISSIPATING. THEREFORE, WE ELECTED TO GAR. A GOOD 3-4 MINS AFTER THE B-757 ARR, WE WERE TURNING FINAL AGAIN, FOR THE L RWY. AS WE APCHED THE THRESHOLD, WE STILL ENCOUNTERED CONSIDERABLE TURB. THE AIR SMOOTHED OUT OVER THE RWY AND WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AS A CTLR, IT IS PART OF MY JOB TO KEEP TRACK OF TIME IN CERTAIN SITS, WAKE TURB PROCS BEING ONE OF THEM. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND 2 THINGS: AS A PLT, BE EXTRA CAREFUL WHEN LNDG ON A RWY WHICH IS PARALLEL TO ANOTHER RWY BEING USED BY LARGE OR HVY JETS. WE ALL KNOW WHAT WINGTIP VORTICES DO WHEN THEY ARE CLOSE TO THE GND. STAY AWARE OF THE ELAPSED TIME BTWN YOU AND A PRECEDING LARGE OR HVY ACFT WHEN IN-TRAIL SPACING IS NOT A FACTOR, I.E., PARALLEL RWYS, ONE RWY BEING A 'PATTERN' RWY, SUCH AS AT SNA.
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.