Narrative:

Time: XA38Z. ATC frequency: 119.75. ATC facility: phl departure control. Location: ood VOR 270/6. Equipment arrived late inbound from dfw. Quick change of crew. Phl ACARS communication link was OTS. Was necessary to confirm our outbound route with clearance delivery because of 2 flight plans on file for us to mia, no pre departure clearance delivery. Flight departed gate xx mins late. Departure heading was 255 degrees for vectors to ood 198 degree radial. We rolled with 1 min interval behind air carrier B737-400. At 5 mi west of phl, aircraft began uncommanded roll to left, which was arrested at 30 degree angle of bank. We were recovering from that wake turbulence incident when departure control cleared us to 12000 ft, or so we thought. Both pilots acknowledged 12000 ft in altitude alert window. Am very familiar with proximity of ood 198 degree radial to departure corridor, and anticipated the imminent left turn from ATC. We observed the air carrier turning left in front of us, 3 mi away, and noticed the CDI ctring up on 198. I initiated a left turn toward the south, but then promptly realized that ATC had not vectored us. Was now at 9 O'clock and passing aft. I professed our probable error to ATC and asked if he wanted us heading back to the west. He said, 'turn right 270 degrees, I need you on the SID.' we promptly executed the right turn. Rolling out west, he promptly said, 'turn left 170 degrees, intercept the woodstown 198 degree radial outbound.' altitude passing was 10000 ft at this time. At 11000 ft, ATC asked us what altitude we were climbing to, then told us to descend to 10000 ft. We complied immediately. TCASII showed the closest traffic at our 6 O'clock position, 10 mi, 600 ft up. I told him that we were climbing to 12000 ft as assigned. He said, 'no, you were cleared to 10000 ft. That's 2 strikes.' we were slightly unnerved by this, but were not going to stick around and discover what 3 strikes meant. ATC handed us off to ZDC at 10000 ft and remained on the edge of our seats for the next few mins. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter took part in the structured wake turbulence callback program. He had more errors in his flying besides the wake encounter. Even he was aware that he had at least 2 strikes against him. His wake encounter was not severe and it was short in duration. He did learn that the B737-400 that was in front of him, did stir up the air more than he thought it might have.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 ENCOUNTERS WAKE TURB DURING DEP FROM PHL.

Narrative: TIME: XA38Z. ATC FREQ: 119.75. ATC FACILITY: PHL DEP CTL. LOCATION: OOD VOR 270/6. EQUIP ARRIVED LATE INBOUND FROM DFW. QUICK CHANGE OF CREW. PHL ACARS COM LINK WAS OTS. WAS NECESSARY TO CONFIRM OUR OUTBOUND RTE WITH CLRNC DELIVERY BECAUSE OF 2 FLT PLANS ON FILE FOR US TO MIA, NO PDC DELIVERY. FLT DEPARTED GATE XX MINS LATE. DEP HDG WAS 255 DEGS FOR VECTORS TO OOD 198 DEG RADIAL. WE ROLLED WITH 1 MIN INTERVAL BEHIND ACR B737-400. AT 5 MI W OF PHL, ACFT BEGAN UNCOMMANDED ROLL TO L, WHICH WAS ARRESTED AT 30 DEG ANGLE OF BANK. WE WERE RECOVERING FROM THAT WAKE TURB INCIDENT WHEN DEP CTL CLRED US TO 12000 FT, OR SO WE THOUGHT. BOTH PLTS ACKNOWLEDGED 12000 FT IN ALT ALERT WINDOW. AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH PROX OF OOD 198 DEG RADIAL TO DEP CORRIDOR, AND ANTICIPATED THE IMMINENT L TURN FROM ATC. WE OBSERVED THE ACR TURNING L IN FRONT OF US, 3 MI AWAY, AND NOTICED THE CDI CTRING UP ON 198. I INITIATED A L TURN TOWARD THE S, BUT THEN PROMPTLY REALIZED THAT ATC HAD NOT VECTORED US. WAS NOW AT 9 O'CLOCK AND PASSING AFT. I PROFESSED OUR PROBABLE ERROR TO ATC AND ASKED IF HE WANTED US HDG BACK TO THE W. HE SAID, 'TURN R 270 DEGS, I NEED YOU ON THE SID.' WE PROMPTLY EXECUTED THE R TURN. ROLLING OUT W, HE PROMPTLY SAID, 'TURN L 170 DEGS, INTERCEPT THE WOODSTOWN 198 DEG RADIAL OUTBOUND.' ALT PASSING WAS 10000 FT AT THIS TIME. AT 11000 FT, ATC ASKED US WHAT ALT WE WERE CLBING TO, THEN TOLD US TO DSND TO 10000 FT. WE COMPLIED IMMEDIATELY. TCASII SHOWED THE CLOSEST TFC AT OUR 6 O'CLOCK POS, 10 MI, 600 FT UP. I TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE CLBING TO 12000 FT AS ASSIGNED. HE SAID, 'NO, YOU WERE CLRED TO 10000 FT. THAT'S 2 STRIKES.' WE WERE SLIGHTLY UNNERVED BY THIS, BUT WERE NOT GOING TO STICK AROUND AND DISCOVER WHAT 3 STRIKES MEANT. ATC HANDED US OFF TO ZDC AT 10000 FT AND REMAINED ON THE EDGE OF OUR SEATS FOR THE NEXT FEW MINS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR TOOK PART IN THE STRUCTURED WAKE TURB CALLBACK PROGRAM. HE HAD MORE ERRORS IN HIS FLYING BESIDES THE WAKE ENCOUNTER. EVEN HE WAS AWARE THAT HE HAD AT LEAST 2 STRIKES AGAINST HIM. HIS WAKE ENCOUNTER WAS NOT SEVERE AND IT WAS SHORT IN DURATION. HE DID LEARN THAT THE B737-400 THAT WAS IN FRONT OF HIM, DID STIR UP THE AIR MORE THAN HE THOUGHT IT MIGHT HAVE.

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.