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This BE02 air carrier flight crew flew into a B727-200's wake that they predicted that they would hit. The controller advised them of possible turbulence.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 365945 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199703 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : iah |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 50 agl bound upper : 50 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : iah tower : iah |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Beech 1900 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing : go around landing other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other landing other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 2700 |
| ASRS Report | 365945 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Went around after encountering wake turbulence from B727. Preceding aircraft landed in the touchdown zone, but slightly long. B727 was making a steep short approach at the request of ATC which made it difficult for us to remain above his glide path. Quartering tailwinds held wake on the runway. Winds approximately 100 degrees to 140 degrees at 6-10 KTS. The iah airport lands on runways 27 and 26 with quartering tailwinds a vast majority of the time. I would estimate it at about 60%-70% of the time. This allows for better traffic flow which is a practice I believe safe and necessary. Pilots unfamiliar with iah should take heed to this. The ATC controller did caution us against wake turbulence. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that the flight crew saw the B727-200 as it was turning and diving onto the final approach in front of them. He said that he warned the first officer that they were probably not going to avoid its wake since it was higher than they were and there was, in addition, a tailwind. When they hit the wake the aircraft yawed and rolled to the right only about 5-10 degrees of roll and the captain ordered the first officer to go around. They made a normal approach and landing a little later. The captain said that he has operated at airports where a separate short runway was used for commuters and GA aircraft and this seems to work well for wake avoidance. He also said that he has had more violent wake encounters and they often had similar sits where the larger aircraft was descending through his flight path so that he was unable to get above the wake without flying through it.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: THIS BE02 ACR FLC FLEW INTO A B727-200'S WAKE THAT THEY PREDICTED THAT THEY WOULD HIT. THE CTLR ADVISED THEM OF POSSIBLE TURB.
Narrative: WENT AROUND AFTER ENCOUNTERING WAKE TURB FROM B727. PRECEDING ACFT LANDED IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE, BUT SLIGHTLY LONG. B727 WAS MAKING A STEEP SHORT APCH AT THE REQUEST OF ATC WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR US TO REMAIN ABOVE HIS GLIDE PATH. QUARTERING TAILWINDS HELD WAKE ON THE RWY. WINDS APPROX 100 DEGS TO 140 DEGS AT 6-10 KTS. THE IAH ARPT LANDS ON RWYS 27 AND 26 WITH QUARTERING TAILWINDS A VAST MAJORITY OF THE TIME. I WOULD ESTIMATE IT AT ABOUT 60%-70% OF THE TIME. THIS ALLOWS FOR BETTER TFC FLOW WHICH IS A PRACTICE I BELIEVE SAFE AND NECESSARY. PLTS UNFAMILIAR WITH IAH SHOULD TAKE HEED TO THIS. THE ATC CTLR DID CAUTION US AGAINST WAKE TURB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT THE FLC SAW THE B727-200 AS IT WAS TURNING AND DIVING ONTO THE FINAL APCH IN FRONT OF THEM. HE SAID THAT HE WARNED THE FO THAT THEY WERE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO AVOID ITS WAKE SINCE IT WAS HIGHER THAN THEY WERE AND THERE WAS, IN ADDITION, A TAILWIND. WHEN THEY HIT THE WAKE THE ACFT YAWED AND ROLLED TO THE R ONLY ABOUT 5-10 DEGS OF ROLL AND THE CAPT ORDERED THE FO TO GAR. THEY MADE A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG A LITTLE LATER. THE CAPT SAID THAT HE HAS OPERATED AT ARPTS WHERE A SEPARATE SHORT RWY WAS USED FOR COMMUTERS AND GA ACFT AND THIS SEEMS TO WORK WELL FOR WAKE AVOIDANCE. HE ALSO SAID THAT HE HAS HAD MORE VIOLENT WAKE ENCOUNTERS AND THEY OFTEN HAD SIMILAR SITS WHERE THE LARGER ACFT WAS DSNDING THROUGH HIS FLT PATH SO THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO GET ABOVE THE WAKE WITHOUT FLYING THROUGH IT.
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.