Narrative:

While flying a coupled ILS runway 4R bos approach we had a wake turbulence encounter. We were flying a CL65 regional jet and were approximately 3 1/2 mi behind a B727. Our aircraft rolled 30 degrees to the right along with a couple of moderate jolts. It took the autoplt several seconds, aided by manual inputs from the first officer to bring the aircraft to a level attitude. After the encounter I asked approach what type of aircraft we were following because we just had a wake encounter. He replied 'it's a B727 but he is 1300 ft below you!' I knew he was 1300 ft below me, he was ahead of me on the approach. What an ignorant comment! We in aviation have a long way to go to fully understand wake turbulence. But with attitudes like the controller's and others who downplay wake turbulence encounters we may never get there without many more hard lessons. The controller refused to believe it was the B727, so I informed him 'in that case I'll report moderate to severe turbulence at 3000 ft on the approach.' this was the worst encounter I have had in 12 yrs of professional flying and it came not behind a heavy, but a narrow body under relatively benign conditions. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the WX at bos was about 800 ft overcast and greater than 3 mi. He stated the most significant contributing cause for the wake encounter was the amount of separation afforded by the controller and the lack of a warning. Next time the reporter says he will find out what is ahead if the controller does not volunteer the information and request the spacing accordingly. The reporter believes procedurally the controller should provide the information of the traffic the reporter is following.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE FLYING A CL65 REGIONAL JET ON A RWY 4R ILS TO BOS THE RPTR ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURB FROM A B727 3 1/2 MI AHEAD AS SHOWN ON HIS TCASII. THE CL65 WAS ROLLED 30 DEGS TO THE R. THE PF DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND ROLLED THE ACFT BACK TO WINGS LEVEL. THE RPTR WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE UNCOMMANDED ROLL, BUT EVEN MORE BY THE LACK OF APPARENT SENSITIVITY BY THE CTLR TO THE CONDITION CONDUCIVE TO WAKE THAT EXISTED ON THE APCH.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING A COUPLED ILS RWY 4R BOS APCH WE HAD A WAKE TURB ENCOUNTER. WE WERE FLYING A CL65 REGIONAL JET AND WERE APPROX 3 1/2 MI BEHIND A B727. OUR ACFT ROLLED 30 DEGS TO THE R ALONG WITH A COUPLE OF MODERATE JOLTS. IT TOOK THE AUTOPLT SEVERAL SECONDS, AIDED BY MANUAL INPUTS FROM THE FO TO BRING THE ACFT TO A LEVEL ATTITUDE. AFTER THE ENCOUNTER I ASKED APCH WHAT TYPE OF ACFT WE WERE FOLLOWING BECAUSE WE JUST HAD A WAKE ENCOUNTER. HE REPLIED 'IT'S A B727 BUT HE IS 1300 FT BELOW YOU!' I KNEW HE WAS 1300 FT BELOW ME, HE WAS AHEAD OF ME ON THE APCH. WHAT AN IGNORANT COMMENT! WE IN AVIATION HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO TO FULLY UNDERSTAND WAKE TURB. BUT WITH ATTITUDES LIKE THE CTLR'S AND OTHERS WHO DOWNPLAY WAKE TURB ENCOUNTERS WE MAY NEVER GET THERE WITHOUT MANY MORE HARD LESSONS. THE CTLR REFUSED TO BELIEVE IT WAS THE B727, SO I INFORMED HIM 'IN THAT CASE I'LL RPT MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB AT 3000 FT ON THE APCH.' THIS WAS THE WORST ENCOUNTER I HAVE HAD IN 12 YRS OF PROFESSIONAL FLYING AND IT CAME NOT BEHIND A HVY, BUT A NARROW BODY UNDER RELATIVELY BENIGN CONDITIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE WX AT BOS WAS ABOUT 800 FT OVCST AND GREATER THAN 3 MI. HE STATED THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTING CAUSE FOR THE WAKE ENCOUNTER WAS THE AMOUNT OF SEPARATION AFFORDED BY THE CTLR AND THE LACK OF A WARNING. NEXT TIME THE RPTR SAYS HE WILL FIND OUT WHAT IS AHEAD IF THE CTLR DOES NOT VOLUNTEER THE INFO AND REQUEST THE SPACING ACCORDINGLY. THE RPTR BELIEVES PROCEDURALLY THE CTLR SHOULD PROVIDE THE INFO OF THE TFC THE RPTR IS FOLLOWING.

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.