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MD88 flight crew encounters wake turbulence when on visual approach behind another MD88. ATC procedures contributed with steep descent required.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 359510 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199701 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : atl |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : atl |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-88 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-88 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 195 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 470 |
| ASRS Report | 359510 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : regained aircraft control |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
The obsession atl has developed with closely spaced visual approachs results in sloppy handling and unsafe sits. Today, approach was putting all aircraft high on GS on final with minimum spacing. An MD88 2 1/2 - 3 NM in front of us began a steep descent and passed through our altitude. The aircraft encountered and rolled rapidly to the right, we grabbed yoke and checked the roll at 20 degree angle of bank. ZTL is pushing this unsafe practice, I believe, as a backlash against the new FAA mandatory wake turbulence separation guidelines. Reports to company have been futile. Suspect industry organizations may also be putting pressure on ATC to jam planes together. Situation is getting out of control. Today (feb/xx/97) despite our acceptance of a visual approach (runway 26R in sight) controller asked us no less than 10 times if we had lead aircraft in sight. That was after clearing us for a visual only after we acknowledged plane below us and to south on approach to runway 27L. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the ATC procedures at atl are not safe. He feels they have a 'militant resistance' to the increased spacing requirements established by FAA. This is causing poor and unsafe actions by approach controllers. Keeping aircraft high with radar vectors and then requiring a steep approach to get on the GS causes the kind of problem encountered. Reporter feels his own company contributes to the problem by pushing ATC to get as many aircraft as possible into the system. He would like to see an expansion of busy times for the hub and spoke operation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MD88 FLC ENCOUNTERS WAKE TURB WHEN ON VISUAL APCH BEHIND ANOTHER MD88. ATC PROCS CONTRIBUTED WITH STEEP DSCNT REQUIRED.
Narrative: THE OBSESSION ATL HAS DEVELOPED WITH CLOSELY SPACED VISUAL APCHS RESULTS IN SLOPPY HANDLING AND UNSAFE SITS. TODAY, APCH WAS PUTTING ALL ACFT HIGH ON GS ON FINAL WITH MINIMUM SPACING. AN MD88 2 1/2 - 3 NM IN FRONT OF US BEGAN A STEEP DSCNT AND PASSED THROUGH OUR ALT. THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED AND ROLLED RAPIDLY TO THE R, WE GRABBED YOKE AND CHKED THE ROLL AT 20 DEG ANGLE OF BANK. ZTL IS PUSHING THIS UNSAFE PRACTICE, I BELIEVE, AS A BACKLASH AGAINST THE NEW FAA MANDATORY WAKE TURB SEPARATION GUIDELINES. RPTS TO COMPANY HAVE BEEN FUTILE. SUSPECT INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS MAY ALSO BE PUTTING PRESSURE ON ATC TO JAM PLANES TOGETHER. SIT IS GETTING OUT OF CTL. TODAY (FEB/XX/97) DESPITE OUR ACCEPTANCE OF A VISUAL APCH (RWY 26R IN SIGHT) CTLR ASKED US NO LESS THAN 10 TIMES IF WE HAD LEAD ACFT IN SIGHT. THAT WAS AFTER CLRING US FOR A VISUAL ONLY AFTER WE ACKNOWLEDGED PLANE BELOW US AND TO S ON APCH TO RWY 27L. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE ATC PROCS AT ATL ARE NOT SAFE. HE FEELS THEY HAVE A 'MILITANT RESISTANCE' TO THE INCREASED SPACING REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED BY FAA. THIS IS CAUSING POOR AND UNSAFE ACTIONS BY APCH CTLRS. KEEPING ACFT HIGH WITH RADAR VECTORS AND THEN REQUIRING A STEEP APCH TO GET ON THE GS CAUSES THE KIND OF PROB ENCOUNTERED. RPTR FEELS HIS OWN COMPANY CONTRIBUTES TO THE PROB BY PUSHING ATC TO GET AS MANY ACFT AS POSSIBLE INTO THE SYS. HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN EXPANSION OF BUSY TIMES FOR THE HUB AND SPOKE OP.
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.