Narrative:

From takeoff out of atl we trailed a heavy B767 also going to dfw. Takeoff and initial climb were uneventful. ZTL climbed us to FL310 while the B767 proceeded to FL350. We were passed to ZME. The winds at altitude were 270 degrees at 90-105 KTS as read off the FMS. Our heading during the incident was 270 degrees. All ride reports were for smooth ride conditions. This included several reports from the leading B767. The B767 was at our immediate 12 O'clock position as shown on TCASII. We were mach .77. When the B767 reached 10 NM in front of us, we were cleared from FL310 to FL350. At FL345 we encountered severe wake turbulence, the autoplt disconnected, the aircraft pitched up another 10 degrees. I immediately grasped the control column and unloaded the aircraft to get the nose level. We remained in this condition for 10-15 seconds. The aircraft was rolling left. I had full right aileron and half right rudder inputted. The aircraft continued to roll to 60 degrees left bank and I had it now 10-20 degrees nose low. When we cleared the turbulence, a normal recovery ensued. While I was recovering the aircraft, the captain was backing up my inputs and coordinating with mem for FL330. Mem immediately cleared us to FL330. The remainder of the flight was uneventful and the aircraft was written up for the severe turbulence and inspected. Conditions were perfect for this to happen. I felt the wake turbulence would have dissipated by this time. Possibly high altitude minimum trail requirements should be examined for trailing heavies. Luckily this was night VMC with a full moon. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this reporter participated in the wake turbulence structured callback study. Reporter was greatly surprised when wake was encountered with great strength 10 mi behind a B767. The aircraft rolled into a 60 degree bank even with full aileron opposing the roll. It lasted over 10 seconds. The flight attendants were all falling over, landing into passenger seats or laps. All the pull- down shades were down so none of the passenger were aware of what attitude the aircraft rolled. Because they couldn't see out, it is felt that is the reason there were no passenger comments. Flight attendants inquired as to what happened, but there were no complaints or injuries. Captain joined the first officer on the flight controls to confirm proper control inputs were being made. With the rolling and maneuvering of the aircraft, the airspeed dropped off and aircraft had to be descended to recover cruise airspeed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD88 ENCOUNTERS WAKE TURB IN ZME AIRSPACE AND ROLLS TO A 60 DEG BANK AND 10 DEG PITCH UP. CTL IS REGAINED WHEN ACFT FLIES OUT OF WAKE OF PRECEDING B767 AT FL350.

Narrative: FROM TKOF OUT OF ATL WE TRAILED A HVY B767 ALSO GOING TO DFW. TKOF AND INITIAL CLB WERE UNEVENTFUL. ZTL CLBED US TO FL310 WHILE THE B767 PROCEEDED TO FL350. WE WERE PASSED TO ZME. THE WINDS AT ALT WERE 270 DEGS AT 90-105 KTS AS READ OFF THE FMS. OUR HDG DURING THE INCIDENT WAS 270 DEGS. ALL RIDE RPTS WERE FOR SMOOTH RIDE CONDITIONS. THIS INCLUDED SEVERAL RPTS FROM THE LEADING B767. THE B767 WAS AT OUR IMMEDIATE 12 O'CLOCK POS AS SHOWN ON TCASII. WE WERE MACH .77. WHEN THE B767 REACHED 10 NM IN FRONT OF US, WE WERE CLRED FROM FL310 TO FL350. AT FL345 WE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE WAKE TURB, THE AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED, THE ACFT PITCHED UP ANOTHER 10 DEGS. I IMMEDIATELY GRASPED THE CTL COLUMN AND UNLOADED THE ACFT TO GET THE NOSE LEVEL. WE REMAINED IN THIS CONDITION FOR 10-15 SECONDS. THE ACFT WAS ROLLING L. I HAD FULL R AILERON AND HALF R RUDDER INPUTTED. THE ACFT CONTINUED TO ROLL TO 60 DEGS L BANK AND I HAD IT NOW 10-20 DEGS NOSE LOW. WHEN WE CLRED THE TURB, A NORMAL RECOVERY ENSUED. WHILE I WAS RECOVERING THE ACFT, THE CAPT WAS BACKING UP MY INPUTS AND COORDINATING WITH MEM FOR FL330. MEM IMMEDIATELY CLRED US TO FL330. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL AND THE ACFT WAS WRITTEN UP FOR THE SEVERE TURB AND INSPECTED. CONDITIONS WERE PERFECT FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. I FELT THE WAKE TURB WOULD HAVE DISSIPATED BY THIS TIME. POSSIBLY HIGH ALT MINIMUM TRAIL REQUIREMENTS SHOULD BE EXAMINED FOR TRAILING HEAVIES. LUCKILY THIS WAS NIGHT VMC WITH A FULL MOON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR PARTICIPATED IN THE WAKE TURB STRUCTURED CALLBACK STUDY. RPTR WAS GREATLY SURPRISED WHEN WAKE WAS ENCOUNTERED WITH GREAT STRENGTH 10 MI BEHIND A B767. THE ACFT ROLLED INTO A 60 DEG BANK EVEN WITH FULL AILERON OPPOSING THE ROLL. IT LASTED OVER 10 SECONDS. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE ALL FALLING OVER, LNDG INTO PAX SEATS OR LAPS. ALL THE PULL- DOWN SHADES WERE DOWN SO NONE OF THE PAX WERE AWARE OF WHAT ATTITUDE THE ACFT ROLLED. BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T SEE OUT, IT IS FELT THAT IS THE REASON THERE WERE NO PAX COMMENTS. FLT ATTENDANTS INQUIRED AS TO WHAT HAPPENED, BUT THERE WERE NO COMPLAINTS OR INJURIES. CAPT JOINED THE FO ON THE FLT CTLS TO CONFIRM PROPER CTL INPUTS WERE BEING MADE. WITH THE ROLLING AND MANEUVERING OF THE ACFT, THE AIRSPD DROPPED OFF AND ACFT HAD TO BE DSNDED TO RECOVER CRUISE AIRSPD.

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.