Narrative:

River visual approach to runway 18 dca, following MD80. At about 300-500 ft just before the last turn to line up over the potomac river, the aircraft started a left bank, which I attempted immediately to counter with right aileron. The left roll continued as I put in more right aileron. Finally, just as I had the yoke at 90 degrees and started to apply right rudder (but had not) the aircraft returned to wings level. I had to immediately enter a right bank to line up with the runway. The thought went through my mind, how embarrassing to wipe out the washington monument as we slide into the white house. I was surprised that an MD80 could exert this amount of force on a 727. I had never before seen a 727 do this. Another event in 1973., solo flying cessna skymaster 0-2a to a full stop landing at willow grove NAS, runway 32. I was following a lockheed P-3 doing touch-and- goes. I thought he was well clear as he was making a right turn for another downwind. At about 70 ft over the runway the aircraft banked hard and fast to the left, and it was turning. No amount of aileron would stop the 60-70 degree bank. I saw the point my wingtip would strike the grass between the runway and taxiway and visualized the cartwheel that would take me through the marine corp helicopters. I stood on the right rudder and just before the wingtip hit, I returned to wings level. I must have come within 2 ft of a sod landing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the encounter was not abrupt but slow and insidious which is why he felt he could correct with aileron. He now feels he should have used rudder earlier. He states that is what saved him in the incident he cites with the cessna skymaster. The most surprising thing to reporter was that he would even get wake turbulence behind an MD80. He has been behind them many times with no adverse effect. His new philosophy is that no matter what kind of aircraft one is following always be prepared for the possibility of wake turbulence. His normal procedure when he gets an ATC advisory of spacing is to check against the TCASII and then maintain that distance to keep the spacing.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 727 FLC EXPERIENCES WAKE TURB BEHIND AN MD80 ON APCH.

Narrative: RIVER VISUAL APCH TO RWY 18 DCA, FOLLOWING MD80. AT ABOUT 300-500 FT JUST BEFORE THE LAST TURN TO LINE UP OVER THE POTOMAC RIVER, THE ACFT STARTED A L BANK, WHICH I ATTEMPTED IMMEDIATELY TO COUNTER WITH R AILERON. THE L ROLL CONTINUED AS I PUT IN MORE R AILERON. FINALLY, JUST AS I HAD THE YOKE AT 90 DEGS AND STARTED TO APPLY R RUDDER (BUT HAD NOT) THE ACFT RETURNED TO WINGS LEVEL. I HAD TO IMMEDIATELY ENTER A R BANK TO LINE UP WITH THE RWY. THE THOUGHT WENT THROUGH MY MIND, HOW EMBARRASSING TO WIPE OUT THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT AS WE SLIDE INTO THE WHITE HOUSE. I WAS SURPRISED THAT AN MD80 COULD EXERT THIS AMOUNT OF FORCE ON A 727. I HAD NEVER BEFORE SEEN A 727 DO THIS. ANOTHER EVENT IN 1973., SOLO FLYING CESSNA SKYMASTER 0-2A TO A FULL STOP LNDG AT WILLOW GROVE NAS, RWY 32. I WAS FOLLOWING A LOCKHEED P-3 DOING TOUCH-AND- GOES. I THOUGHT HE WAS WELL CLR AS HE WAS MAKING A R TURN FOR ANOTHER DOWNWIND. AT ABOUT 70 FT OVER THE RWY THE ACFT BANKED HARD AND FAST TO THE L, AND IT WAS TURNING. NO AMOUNT OF AILERON WOULD STOP THE 60-70 DEG BANK. I SAW THE POINT MY WINGTIP WOULD STRIKE THE GRASS BTWN THE RWY AND TXWY AND VISUALIZED THE CARTWHEEL THAT WOULD TAKE ME THROUGH THE MARINE CORP HELIS. I STOOD ON THE R RUDDER AND JUST BEFORE THE WINGTIP HIT, I RETURNED TO WINGS LEVEL. I MUST HAVE COME WITHIN 2 FT OF A SOD LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE ENCOUNTER WAS NOT ABRUPT BUT SLOW AND INSIDIOUS WHICH IS WHY HE FELT HE COULD CORRECT WITH AILERON. HE NOW FEELS HE SHOULD HAVE USED RUDDER EARLIER. HE STATES THAT IS WHAT SAVED HIM IN THE INCIDENT HE CITES WITH THE CESSNA SKYMASTER. THE MOST SURPRISING THING TO RPTR WAS THAT HE WOULD EVEN GET WAKE TURB BEHIND AN MD80. HE HAS BEEN BEHIND THEM MANY TIMES WITH NO ADVERSE EFFECT. HIS NEW PHILOSOPHY IS THAT NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF ACFT ONE IS FOLLOWING ALWAYS BE PREPARED FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF WAKE TURB. HIS NORMAL PROC WHEN HE GETS AN ATC ADVISORY OF SPACING IS TO CHK AGAINST THE TCASII AND THEN MAINTAIN THAT DISTANCE TO KEEP THE SPACING.

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.