Narrative:

To date at least 3 planes have crashed behind B757 wake turbulence. I personally witnessed 1 such crash at sna airport. I also fly small planes out of orange county and am aware of the methods small plane pilots try to use to avoid B757 wake turbulence. Small plane pilots think that they can be safest if behind a B757 by staying 'high' and above the perceived B757 glide path. Therefore, it is incumbent for us to actually fly the glide path to give them a chance of survival. The published and flight plan eastside arrival is set up to allow this. When a controller insists or pressures us into a visual approach, this ends up in a 'high dive' into orange county with several bad consequences. Not only does this eliminate any chance of a following plane staying above our glide path but it has to scare our passenger as we have to get full dirty (the worst situation for wake turbulence), make s-turns and dive for the altitude. It just is not proper airline technique. Tonight we were again forced into that situation. The controller that cleared us to descend on the eastside took us to kayoh and turned us over to the final controller. After checking in, the final controller took us off the eastside and gave us a heading to 250 degrees and descend to 5000 ft (from 7000 ft). Though I was flying I asked the controller to leave us on the eastside, he said no -- he said there were 4 other airline arrs and we were to do as told. Not much time to argue (in the air) but I mentioned my concern for following flts -- he was not interested. We did as told. He did not offer a 270 degree turn to final and it was clear we would really mess up his plan if we asked. He was not cooperating. We did as told, made s-turns, were 2000 ft high at the outer and back on the GS by 1200 ft. Final approach and landing were normal. I am tired of this. It is not right and the socal controller(south) involved ought to work with us for everyone's safety. When I arrived home, I called the socal facility and talked to the supervisor and told him the story, and he agreed with me entirely. He said he would pull the tapes and look into this. Orange county airport is not only an accident that is going to happen, accidents have already happened there. My air carrier needs to stay out of future accidents there and the only safe way to do this is to fly the IFR flight plan and the arrival as published. To do a controller mandated high dive (to accommodate their flow) is dangerous and wrong. I have flown in and out of sna for many yrs and have seen lots of stuff there. We need to be in a leadership position to avoid another tragedy which may include my air carrier.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR, ACR PLT, CONCERNED ABOUT MAKING STEEP APCHS WITH B757 INTO SNA ARPT BECAUSE OF WAKE TURB EFFECT ON SMALLER ACFT.

Narrative: TO DATE AT LEAST 3 PLANES HAVE CRASHED BEHIND B757 WAKE TURB. I PERSONALLY WITNESSED 1 SUCH CRASH AT SNA ARPT. I ALSO FLY SMALL PLANES OUT OF ORANGE COUNTY AND AM AWARE OF THE METHODS SMALL PLANE PLTS TRY TO USE TO AVOID B757 WAKE TURB. SMALL PLANE PLTS THINK THAT THEY CAN BE SAFEST IF BEHIND A B757 BY STAYING 'HIGH' AND ABOVE THE PERCEIVED B757 GLIDE PATH. THEREFORE, IT IS INCUMBENT FOR US TO ACTUALLY FLY THE GLIDE PATH TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE OF SURVIVAL. THE PUBLISHED AND FLT PLAN EASTSIDE ARR IS SET UP TO ALLOW THIS. WHEN A CTLR INSISTS OR PRESSURES US INTO A VISUAL APCH, THIS ENDS UP IN A 'HIGH DIVE' INTO ORANGE COUNTY WITH SEVERAL BAD CONSEQUENCES. NOT ONLY DOES THIS ELIMINATE ANY CHANCE OF A FOLLOWING PLANE STAYING ABOVE OUR GLIDE PATH BUT IT HAS TO SCARE OUR PAX AS WE HAVE TO GET FULL DIRTY (THE WORST SIT FOR WAKE TURB), MAKE S-TURNS AND DIVE FOR THE ALT. IT JUST IS NOT PROPER AIRLINE TECHNIQUE. TONIGHT WE WERE AGAIN FORCED INTO THAT SIT. THE CTLR THAT CLRED US TO DSND ON THE EASTSIDE TOOK US TO KAYOH AND TURNED US OVER TO THE FINAL CTLR. AFTER CHKING IN, THE FINAL CTLR TOOK US OFF THE EASTSIDE AND GAVE US A HDG TO 250 DEGS AND DSND TO 5000 FT (FROM 7000 FT). THOUGH I WAS FLYING I ASKED THE CTLR TO LEAVE US ON THE EASTSIDE, HE SAID NO -- HE SAID THERE WERE 4 OTHER AIRLINE ARRS AND WE WERE TO DO AS TOLD. NOT MUCH TIME TO ARGUE (IN THE AIR) BUT I MENTIONED MY CONCERN FOR FOLLOWING FLTS -- HE WAS NOT INTERESTED. WE DID AS TOLD. HE DID NOT OFFER A 270 DEG TURN TO FINAL AND IT WAS CLR WE WOULD REALLY MESS UP HIS PLAN IF WE ASKED. HE WAS NOT COOPERATING. WE DID AS TOLD, MADE S-TURNS, WERE 2000 FT HIGH AT THE OUTER AND BACK ON THE GS BY 1200 FT. FINAL APCH AND LNDG WERE NORMAL. I AM TIRED OF THIS. IT IS NOT RIGHT AND THE SOCAL CTLR(S) INVOLVED OUGHT TO WORK WITH US FOR EVERYONE'S SAFETY. WHEN I ARRIVED HOME, I CALLED THE SOCAL FACILITY AND TALKED TO THE SUPVR AND TOLD HIM THE STORY, AND HE AGREED WITH ME ENTIRELY. HE SAID HE WOULD PULL THE TAPES AND LOOK INTO THIS. ORANGE COUNTY ARPT IS NOT ONLY AN ACCIDENT THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN, ACCIDENTS HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED THERE. MY ACR NEEDS TO STAY OUT OF FUTURE ACCIDENTS THERE AND THE ONLY SAFE WAY TO DO THIS IS TO FLY THE IFR FLT PLAN AND THE ARR AS PUBLISHED. TO DO A CTLR MANDATED HIGH DIVE (TO ACCOMMODATE THEIR FLOW) IS DANGEROUS AND WRONG. I HAVE FLOWN IN AND OUT OF SNA FOR MANY YRS AND HAVE SEEN LOTS OF STUFF THERE. WE NEED TO BE IN A LEADERSHIP POS TO AVOID ANOTHER TRAGEDY WHICH MAY INCLUDE MY ACR.

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.