Narrative:

I was on my first solo in a complex aircraft (high performance, turbo, retractable: C182TR). This was the second time around the pattern. ATIS reported winds of 11 KTS, quartering left headwind. On downwind, I did a gumps check and put in 10 degrees of flap. A falcon jet was awaiting release at runway 5, and was released roughly as I turned base. On base leg I brought the flaps to 20 degrees, and tower gave me 'cleared touch and go, caution wake turbulence.' the falcon began to roll as I turned final about 1.5 mi out. At that point a gulfstream called a 7 mi straight-in behind me. Tower cleared them to land '#2, behind a cessna on 3/4 mi final.' (so perhaps I wasn't as far out as I thought.) I completed another gumps check, and brought in full flaps. I considered my separation from the falcon, and judged it to be adequate. I tried to observe the rotation point of the falcon, which appeared to be just beyond mid-field. I considered a full stop landing, and rejected the idea, as I didn't anticipate a problem, and I was influenced by the presence of the gulfstream behind me. If I made a full stop, the gulfstream would probably be forced to go around. If I requested a full stop, I would probably have to go around. Neither of these is a bad thing, but they influenced my thought process, which is a bad thing. I came down final at about 75 KTS, and landed a bit long (at the touchdown zone or shortly after). I cleaned up the aircraft, putting carburetor heat to cold and -- I thought -- raising the flaps, then increased manifold pressure to about 28 or 29 inches for takeoff. I encountered some left yaw as the power came up, corrected with right rudder. I rotated at about 65 KTS. Shortly after lift-off, below 50 ft AGL, the aircraft rolled left, violently. I countered with right aileron and rudder, and leveled the aircraft. At this point I was low, slow, and in dubious control of the aircraft, with plenty of runway ahead. I pulled the power and arrived back on the runway, but aligned about 30 degrees left of centerline. I applied brakes and right rudder to try to stay on the runway, but the wingtip and 1 main gear came up, so I relaxed the pressure to avoid cart-wheeling. I raised the flaps to increase braking action (probably a stupid idea in a retractable), and departed the runway diagonally, taking out a runway light and a taxiway sign. Tower asked 'do you need assistance?' and I said, 'no, I think I can taxi back to the ramp.' the tower asked 'are you okay?' and I said 'I'm okay, but you're missing a taxiway sign.' tower asked, 'what happened? Did you hit wake turbulence?' I replied, 'I think so.' I taxied back unassisted. Wake turbulence: I've had similar separation from departing jets many times. However, the wind was much lighter than the reported 11 KTS. I don't remember carrying any significant wind correction angle down final. Perhaps I had the magic 5 KT crosswind to keep a wingtip vortex over the runway. Note that since I rolled left, it must have been the right wingtip vortex. Touch and go: lack of recent experience in touch and go lndgs! I did a million of them as a student in a skyhawk. I had only done one with a CFI in the skylane (and I raised the flaps that time, I know). I probably landed longer than normal, and longer than I intended, which put me much closer to the rotation point of the falcon. Then add extra time to clean up and set takeoff power for the complex aircraft (instead of being able to blindly add full power). Now I'm at or near the rotation point of the fast-climbing flacon, so I'll fly right into the wake instead of climbing (and turning out) above it. Think twice when I hear 'caution, wake turbulence.' I hear it over and over, and adjust accordingly, or so I think. Perhaps I need to increase all my separation standards against the possibility that the wind will die, or give me just enough crosswind to keep the vortex over the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182TR PLT HAS LOSS OF ACFT CTL WHILE COMPLETING A TOUCH AND GO BEHIND A DEPARTING FALCON ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS ON MY FIRST SOLO IN A COMPLEX ACFT (HIGH PERFORMANCE, TURBO, RETRACTABLE: C182TR). THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME AROUND THE PATTERN. ATIS RPTED WINDS OF 11 KTS, QUARTERING L HEADWIND. ON DOWNWIND, I DID A GUMPS CHK AND PUT IN 10 DEGS OF FLAP. A FALCON JET WAS AWAITING RELEASE AT RWY 5, AND WAS RELEASED ROUGHLY AS I TURNED BASE. ON BASE LEG I BROUGHT THE FLAPS TO 20 DEGS, AND TWR GAVE ME 'CLRED TOUCH AND GO, CAUTION WAKE TURB.' THE FALCON BEGAN TO ROLL AS I TURNED FINAL ABOUT 1.5 MI OUT. AT THAT POINT A GULFSTREAM CALLED A 7 MI STRAIGHT-IN BEHIND ME. TWR CLRED THEM TO LAND '#2, BEHIND A CESSNA ON 3/4 MI FINAL.' (SO PERHAPS I WASN'T AS FAR OUT AS I THOUGHT.) I COMPLETED ANOTHER GUMPS CHK, AND BROUGHT IN FULL FLAPS. I CONSIDERED MY SEPARATION FROM THE FALCON, AND JUDGED IT TO BE ADEQUATE. I TRIED TO OBSERVE THE ROTATION POINT OF THE FALCON, WHICH APPEARED TO BE JUST BEYOND MID-FIELD. I CONSIDERED A FULL STOP LNDG, AND REJECTED THE IDEA, AS I DIDN'T ANTICIPATE A PROB, AND I WAS INFLUENCED BY THE PRESENCE OF THE GULFSTREAM BEHIND ME. IF I MADE A FULL STOP, THE GULFSTREAM WOULD PROBABLY BE FORCED TO GAR. IF I REQUESTED A FULL STOP, I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO GAR. NEITHER OF THESE IS A BAD THING, BUT THEY INFLUENCED MY THOUGHT PROCESS, WHICH IS A BAD THING. I CAME DOWN FINAL AT ABOUT 75 KTS, AND LANDED A BIT LONG (AT THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE OR SHORTLY AFTER). I CLEANED UP THE ACFT, PUTTING CARB HEAT TO COLD AND -- I THOUGHT -- RAISING THE FLAPS, THEN INCREASED MANIFOLD PRESSURE TO ABOUT 28 OR 29 INCHES FOR TKOF. I ENCOUNTERED SOME L YAW AS THE PWR CAME UP, CORRECTED WITH R RUDDER. I ROTATED AT ABOUT 65 KTS. SHORTLY AFTER LIFT-OFF, BELOW 50 FT AGL, THE ACFT ROLLED L, VIOLENTLY. I COUNTERED WITH R AILERON AND RUDDER, AND LEVELED THE ACFT. AT THIS POINT I WAS LOW, SLOW, AND IN DUBIOUS CTL OF THE ACFT, WITH PLENTY OF RWY AHEAD. I PULLED THE PWR AND ARRIVED BACK ON THE RWY, BUT ALIGNED ABOUT 30 DEGS L OF CTRLINE. I APPLIED BRAKES AND R RUDDER TO TRY TO STAY ON THE RWY, BUT THE WINGTIP AND 1 MAIN GEAR CAME UP, SO I RELAXED THE PRESSURE TO AVOID CART-WHEELING. I RAISED THE FLAPS TO INCREASE BRAKING ACTION (PROBABLY A STUPID IDEA IN A RETRACTABLE), AND DEPARTED THE RWY DIAGONALLY, TAKING OUT A RWY LIGHT AND A TXWY SIGN. TWR ASKED 'DO YOU NEED ASSISTANCE?' AND I SAID, 'NO, I THINK I CAN TAXI BACK TO THE RAMP.' THE TWR ASKED 'ARE YOU OKAY?' AND I SAID 'I'M OKAY, BUT YOU'RE MISSING A TXWY SIGN.' TWR ASKED, 'WHAT HAPPENED? DID YOU HIT WAKE TURB?' I REPLIED, 'I THINK SO.' I TAXIED BACK UNASSISTED. WAKE TURB: I'VE HAD SIMILAR SEPARATION FROM DEPARTING JETS MANY TIMES. HOWEVER, THE WIND WAS MUCH LIGHTER THAN THE RPTED 11 KTS. I DON'T REMEMBER CARRYING ANY SIGNIFICANT WIND CORRECTION ANGLE DOWN FINAL. PERHAPS I HAD THE MAGIC 5 KT XWIND TO KEEP A WINGTIP VORTEX OVER THE RWY. NOTE THAT SINCE I ROLLED L, IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE R WINGTIP VORTEX. TOUCH AND GO: LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN TOUCH AND GO LNDGS! I DID A MILLION OF THEM AS A STUDENT IN A SKYHAWK. I HAD ONLY DONE ONE WITH A CFI IN THE SKYLANE (AND I RAISED THE FLAPS THAT TIME, I KNOW). I PROBABLY LANDED LONGER THAN NORMAL, AND LONGER THAN I INTENDED, WHICH PUT ME MUCH CLOSER TO THE ROTATION POINT OF THE FALCON. THEN ADD EXTRA TIME TO CLEAN UP AND SET TKOF PWR FOR THE COMPLEX ACFT (INSTEAD OF BEING ABLE TO BLINDLY ADD FULL PWR). NOW I'M AT OR NEAR THE ROTATION POINT OF THE FAST-CLBING FLACON, SO I'LL FLY RIGHT INTO THE WAKE INSTEAD OF CLBING (AND TURNING OUT) ABOVE IT. THINK TWICE WHEN I HEAR 'CAUTION, WAKE TURB.' I HEAR IT OVER AND OVER, AND ADJUST ACCORDINGLY, OR SO I THINK. PERHAPS I NEED TO INCREASE ALL MY SEPARATION STANDARDS AGAINST THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE WIND WILL DIE, OR GIVE ME JUST ENOUGH XWIND TO KEEP THE VORTEX OVER THE RWY.

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.