Narrative:

Departing ewr we were cleared for takeoff runway 22R. We departed behind a boeing 727 and shortly after lift off (1000 ft MSL) we encountered the wake turbulence of the 727. Our aircraft (bae 4100) began to roll right. The first officer was flying the aircraft and was trying to fly clear of the wake turbulence. We were departing on the newark 4 SID which has a published altitude of 5000 ft, however we had been issued a lower altitude to maintain 2500 ft. Climbing through 1500 ft I made the standard callout, '1000 to go.' the first officer repeated the callout. Our rate of climb was between 1200-1500 FPM. At this time the ATC assigned a heading of 310 degrees. I reached up and turned the heading bug to 310 degrees, and about that time, the altitude alerter went on indicating we were above the set altitude of 2500 ft. Looking at the altimeter I observed 2900 ft and climbing. I told the first officer the assigned altitude was 2500 ft. He was apparently still dealing with the wake turbulence of the B727 and being distracted with that he continued climbing. I took the controls and retarded the throttles to idle and initiated the descent back to 2500 ft. I relinquished control of the aircraft back to the first officer once we got the aircraft headed back down to the correct altitude. About this time, the controller asked the assigned altitude, to which I responded 2500 ft and apologized for the altitude deviation. The controller then cleared us to climb to 5000 ft and did not indicate that there had been a traffic conflict. I asked the first officer after the incident what had happened and he said that he was busy trying to avoid another encounter with the wake turbulence, and that he inadvertently went right through the altitude. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter states that he has encountered wake in this or similar sits many times at ewr. The controllers are so concerned about moving traffic that they push you to launch, even though you are too close to heavy aircraft. The B727 was seen by the reporter in its takeoff and its identity, its range, its direction or any wake caution was not given by the controller. He may now consider such things obvious said the reporter. The reporter flies the bae-4100 jetstream frequently from ewr, and he thinks that the wake turbulence encounters are getting more frequent and more violent. The reporter did brief his first officer to expect to encounter the 727's wake and he thinks that it helped him to counter its effect.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WAKE ENCOUNTER -- THE FLC HITS THE WAKE OF THE PRECEDING ACFT, AND WHILE ATTEMPTING TO AVOID A SECOND ENCOUNTER, FORGETS TO LEVEL OFF.

Narrative: DEPARTING EWR WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 22R. WE DEPARTED BEHIND A BOEING 727 AND SHORTLY AFTER LIFT OFF (1000 FT MSL) WE ENCOUNTERED THE WAKE TURB OF THE 727. OUR ACFT (BAE 4100) BEGAN TO ROLL R. THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND WAS TRYING TO FLY CLR OF THE WAKE TURB. WE WERE DEPARTING ON THE NEWARK 4 SID WHICH HAS A PUBLISHED ALT OF 5000 FT, HOWEVER WE HAD BEEN ISSUED A LOWER ALT TO MAINTAIN 2500 FT. CLBING THROUGH 1500 FT I MADE THE STANDARD CALLOUT, '1000 TO GO.' THE FO REPEATED THE CALLOUT. OUR RATE OF CLB WAS BTWN 1200-1500 FPM. AT THIS TIME THE ATC ASSIGNED A HDG OF 310 DEGS. I REACHED UP AND TURNED THE HDG BUG TO 310 DEGS, AND ABOUT THAT TIME, THE ALT ALERTER WENT ON INDICATING WE WERE ABOVE THE SET ALT OF 2500 FT. LOOKING AT THE ALTIMETER I OBSERVED 2900 FT AND CLBING. I TOLD THE FO THE ASSIGNED ALT WAS 2500 FT. HE WAS APPARENTLY STILL DEALING WITH THE WAKE TURB OF THE B727 AND BEING DISTRACTED WITH THAT HE CONTINUED CLBING. I TOOK THE CTLS AND RETARDED THE THROTTLES TO IDLE AND INITIATED THE DSCNT BACK TO 2500 FT. I RELINQUISHED CTL OF THE ACFT BACK TO THE FO ONCE WE GOT THE ACFT HEADED BACK DOWN TO THE CORRECT ALT. ABOUT THIS TIME, THE CTLR ASKED THE ASSIGNED ALT, TO WHICH I RESPONDED 2500 FT AND APOLOGIZED FOR THE ALTDEV. THE CTLR THEN CLRED US TO CLB TO 5000 FT AND DID NOT INDICATE THAT THERE HAD BEEN A TFC CONFLICT. I ASKED THE FO AFTER THE INCIDENT WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND HE SAID THAT HE WAS BUSY TRYING TO AVOID ANOTHER ENCOUNTER WITH THE WAKE TURB, AND THAT HE INADVERTENTLY WENT RIGHT THROUGH THE ALT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR STATES THAT HE HAS ENCOUNTERED WAKE IN THIS OR SIMILAR SITS MANY TIMES AT EWR. THE CTLRS ARE SO CONCERNED ABOUT MOVING TFC THAT THEY PUSH YOU TO LAUNCH, EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE TOO CLOSE TO HVY ACFT. THE B727 WAS SEEN BY THE RPTR IN ITS TKOF AND ITS IDENTITY, ITS RANGE, ITS DIRECTION OR ANY WAKE CAUTION WAS NOT GIVEN BY THE CTLR. HE MAY NOW CONSIDER SUCH THINGS OBVIOUS SAID THE RPTR. THE RPTR FLIES THE BAE-4100 JETSTREAM FREQUENTLY FROM EWR, AND HE THINKS THAT THE WAKE TURB ENCOUNTERS ARE GETTING MORE FREQUENT AND MORE VIOLENT. THE RPTR DID BRIEF HIS FO TO EXPECT TO ENCOUNTER THE 727'S WAKE AND HE THINKS THAT IT HELPED HIM TO COUNTER ITS EFFECT.

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.