Narrative:

While flying a visual base leg for runway 16R at 11000 ft, approximately 6 mi away from the approach end of the runway, ATC informed us of traffic, an MD80 at 1 O'clock, 12 mi, 11000 ft, that we would be following to the airport. We were issued speed restrs and a vector which took us away from the airport. As our traffic 'which was really a B737-300' passed us at 12 O'clock and 4 mi, the approach controller cleared us for a visual approach to runway 16L. The staggered approach set up along with 'actual' reported winds '250 degrees at 25 KTS' resulted in a wake turbulence encounter at 50 ft AGL on landing. The controller seemed to be familiar with aircraft types and performance capabilities. With no aircraft on approach before ours, and none on takeoff roll from runway 16R, we could have easily made a normal approach and left plenty of room for our traffic which was supposedly so much 'faster'! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is a first officer on an air carrier EMB120 and his flight crew was approaching rno at the same time as another air carrier B737 when the approach controller decided to vector the EMB120 to follow the B737. Later the controller cleared the EMB120 flight crew to follow the B737, but make the approach to the parallel runway 16L. The B737 would be landing on runway 16R. The winds were 250 degrees at 10 KTS with gusts to 25 KTS according to the ATIS. After landing the winds were reported to be at 250 degrees at 25 KTS. The flight crew did not realize that the B737's wake would be blown toward their approach path, according to the reporter. They were cleared for the approach and turned over to tower control. As they rolled out on final approach, the reporter said that he guessed that they were about 2 mi behind the B737 and offset to the left about 1/2 mi. The local controller cleared them to land. As he started to flare, about 50 ft AGL, the aircraft suddenly pitched up, then down. He estimates that the attitude change was +5 degrees to -5 degrees and during the pitch down the aircraft yawed about 5 degrees to the right. The reporter was able to recover and land. There were no injuries, only a comment from the cabin attendant attendants. The reporter did report the incident to the company's ATC liaison committee.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE ACR FLC OF AN E120 HITS THE WAKE OF A B737 THAT LANDED ON A PARALLEL RWY AT RNO. THE RPTR DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE XWIND WOULD BLOW THE B737'S WAKE OVER TO HIS APCH PATH.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING A VISUAL BASE LEG FOR RWY 16R AT 11000 FT, APPROX 6 MI AWAY FROM THE APCH END OF THE RWY, ATC INFORMED US OF TFC, AN MD80 AT 1 O'CLOCK, 12 MI, 11000 FT, THAT WE WOULD BE FOLLOWING TO THE ARPT. WE WERE ISSUED SPD RESTRS AND A VECTOR WHICH TOOK US AWAY FROM THE ARPT. AS OUR TFC 'WHICH WAS REALLY A B737-300' PASSED US AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 4 MI, THE APCH CTLR CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 16L. THE STAGGERED APCH SET UP ALONG WITH 'ACTUAL' RPTED WINDS '250 DEGS AT 25 KTS' RESULTED IN A WAKE TURB ENCOUNTER AT 50 FT AGL ON LNDG. THE CTLR SEEMED TO BE FAMILIAR WITH ACFT TYPES AND PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES. WITH NO ACFT ON APCH BEFORE OURS, AND NONE ON TKOF ROLL FROM RWY 16R, WE COULD HAVE EASILY MADE A NORMAL APCH AND LEFT PLENTY OF ROOM FOR OUR TFC WHICH WAS SUPPOSEDLY SO MUCH 'FASTER'! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A FO ON AN ACR EMB120 AND HIS FLC WAS APCHING RNO AT THE SAME TIME AS ANOTHER ACR B737 WHEN THE APCH CTLR DECIDED TO VECTOR THE EMB120 TO FOLLOW THE B737. LATER THE CTLR CLRED THE EMB120 FLC TO FOLLOW THE B737, BUT MAKE THE APCH TO THE PARALLEL RWY 16L. THE B737 WOULD BE LNDG ON RWY 16R. THE WINDS WERE 250 DEGS AT 10 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 25 KTS ACCORDING TO THE ATIS. AFTER LNDG THE WINDS WERE RPTED TO BE AT 250 DEGS AT 25 KTS. THE FLC DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE B737'S WAKE WOULD BE BLOWN TOWARD THEIR APCH PATH, ACCORDING TO THE RPTR. THEY WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH AND TURNED OVER TO TWR CTL. AS THEY ROLLED OUT ON FINAL APCH, THE RPTR SAID THAT HE GUESSED THAT THEY WERE ABOUT 2 MI BEHIND THE B737 AND OFFSET TO THE L ABOUT 1/2 MI. THE LCL CTLR CLRED THEM TO LAND. AS HE STARTED TO FLARE, ABOUT 50 FT AGL, THE ACFT SUDDENLY PITCHED UP, THEN DOWN. HE ESTIMATES THAT THE ATTITUDE CHANGE WAS +5 DEGS TO -5 DEGS AND DURING THE PITCH DOWN THE ACFT YAWED ABOUT 5 DEGS TO THE R. THE RPTR WAS ABLE TO RECOVER AND LAND. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, ONLY A COMMENT FROM THE CAB ATTENDANTS. THE RPTR DID RPT THE INCIDENT TO THE COMPANY'S ATC LIAISON COMMITTEE.

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.