Narrative:

In descent, given descent to 11000 ft, on the STAR, at 50 DME, we were given 'cross 40 out of atl at or below 10000 ft to maintain 9000 ft.' we were at 15400 ft and normally would have had no problem making the restr. Out of 13400 ft, on autoplt, the aircraft rolled hard right to approximately 30 degrees. I was the PF, I immediately disconnected the autoplt and brought the throttle to zero, I had full left aileron, and was able to maintain the 30 degree right turn. I brought the nose up to bleed off airspeed as we were at our mmo. After approximately 6 or 7 seconds, I applied full left rudder which brought the aircraft to wings level. The captain verified I had control and verified no engine problem. At that point, aircraft resumed normal control, but we were at 12000 ft at 40 DME. The center queried us and the rest of the flight proceeded normally. WX was clear, and our only idea of what happened was wake turbulence, yet the nearest aircraft on the STAR was 20 mi ahead. More heads up on the crossing restr would have helped and an idea of what we were following would have helped. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter was flying the embraer brasilia at high speed and nose down when he encountered the B727's wake. The center controller had belatedly given them a 9000 ft crossing restr at 'womac' on the 'macey 1 arrival.' he thinks that the speed caused the severity of the wake action on the airframe. He says that the captain did exactly the right thing by giving him information, but not interfering by grabbing the controls also. The stars into atl will always have, at some point, the lighter aircraft below the heavier because of their en route operating regimes. The lighter aircraft may need a separate route that feeds into the main route after the heavies have descended to or below the light aircraft altitudes. The reporter also says that this is the first time that the wake effect has persisted so long and that the passenger and the flight attendant have been so vocal and concerned about what happened. He said that he is thinking of quitting and entering law practice ('I don't need this stuff'). He says that he does not blame the controllers because the B727 was 15 mi in front and who would have expected that this would happen?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WAKE ENCOUNTER -- FLC HITS A B727 WAKE EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE 15 MI IN TRAIL.

Narrative: IN DSCNT, GIVEN DSCNT TO 11000 FT, ON THE STAR, AT 50 DME, WE WERE GIVEN 'CROSS 40 OUT OF ATL AT OR BELOW 10000 FT TO MAINTAIN 9000 FT.' WE WERE AT 15400 FT AND NORMALLY WOULD HAVE HAD NO PROB MAKING THE RESTR. OUT OF 13400 FT, ON AUTOPLT, THE ACFT ROLLED HARD R TO APPROX 30 DEGS. I WAS THE PF, I IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND BROUGHT THE THROTTLE TO ZERO, I HAD FULL L AILERON, AND WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE 30 DEG R TURN. I BROUGHT THE NOSE UP TO BLEED OFF AIRSPD AS WE WERE AT OUR MMO. AFTER APPROX 6 OR 7 SECONDS, I APPLIED FULL L RUDDER WHICH BROUGHT THE ACFT TO WINGS LEVEL. THE CAPT VERIFIED I HAD CTL AND VERIFIED NO ENG PROB. AT THAT POINT, ACFT RESUMED NORMAL CTL, BUT WE WERE AT 12000 FT AT 40 DME. THE CTR QUERIED US AND THE REST OF THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY. WX WAS CLR, AND OUR ONLY IDEA OF WHAT HAPPENED WAS WAKE TURB, YET THE NEAREST ACFT ON THE STAR WAS 20 MI AHEAD. MORE HEADS UP ON THE XING RESTR WOULD HAVE HELPED AND AN IDEA OF WHAT WE WERE FOLLOWING WOULD HAVE HELPED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR WAS FLYING THE EMBRAER BRASILIA AT HIGH SPD AND NOSE DOWN WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED THE B727'S WAKE. THE CTR CTLR HAD BELATEDLY GIVEN THEM A 9000 FT XING RESTR AT 'WOMAC' ON THE 'MACEY 1 ARR.' HE THINKS THAT THE SPD CAUSED THE SEVERITY OF THE WAKE ACTION ON THE AIRFRAME. HE SAYS THAT THE CAPT DID EXACTLY THE RIGHT THING BY GIVING HIM INFO, BUT NOT INTERFERING BY GRABBING THE CTLS ALSO. THE STARS INTO ATL WILL ALWAYS HAVE, AT SOME POINT, THE LIGHTER ACFT BELOW THE HEAVIER BECAUSE OF THEIR ENRTE OPERATING REGIMES. THE LIGHTER ACFT MAY NEED A SEPARATE RTE THAT FEEDS INTO THE MAIN RTE AFTER THE HEAVIES HAVE DSNDED TO OR BELOW THE LIGHT ACFT ALTS. THE RPTR ALSO SAYS THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE WAKE EFFECT HAS PERSISTED SO LONG AND THAT THE PAX AND THE FLT ATTENDANT HAVE BEEN SO VOCAL AND CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. HE SAID THAT HE IS THINKING OF QUITTING AND ENTERING LAW PRACTICE ('I DON'T NEED THIS STUFF'). HE SAYS THAT HE DOES NOT BLAME THE CTLRS BECAUSE THE B727 WAS 15 MI IN FRONT AND WHO WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN?

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.