Narrative:

Tight spacing dca arrs and departures, encountered wake from previous B737-400 departure at 100 ft. Aircraft rolled right and left as we passed through. If you fly into dca you get used to no clear air for lndgs, but now it seems takeoffs are going to be affected also. Cleared for immediate departure following B737- 400, traffic also on final so that you can't situation in position because you'll mess up his/her arrival. We were a heavy departure so we had a higher rotation speed, plus we rotated slower to have more speed if we encountered any turbulence. I plan on no longer accepting tight sequencing in dca for departures, and will waive arrs when the departing aircraft is just starting takeoff roll while I'm on short final. It causes me to question the pwrs that feel dca can handle more traffic. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter suffered some severe bank angles shortly after lift-off. Captain told first officer to anticipate it to happen as they both knew they were following close behind the offending aircraft. Flight crew saw all 3 main gear on the ground. They delayed takeoff rotation so they would have plenty of extra airspeed to climb through the departing aircraft wake. The roll was steep, but flight crew had partial control so the aircraft could be controled. Captain said the wake problems continued during climb out as they could never find any undisturbed air. Wake was everywhere. Should the same situation occur again, the captain would refuse the takeoff clearance. Reporter was adamant that there is never any smooth air arriving or departing dca. Biggest complaint of reporter was, he believes the legal separation standards are never adhered to at dca.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-400 ENCOUNTERS STRONG WAKE TURB DURING DEP FROM DCA.

Narrative: TIGHT SPACING DCA ARRS AND DEPS, ENCOUNTERED WAKE FROM PREVIOUS B737-400 DEP AT 100 FT. ACFT ROLLED R AND L AS WE PASSED THROUGH. IF YOU FLY INTO DCA YOU GET USED TO NO CLR AIR FOR LNDGS, BUT NOW IT SEEMS TKOFS ARE GOING TO BE AFFECTED ALSO. CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE DEP FOLLOWING B737- 400, TFC ALSO ON FINAL SO THAT YOU CAN'T SIT IN POS BECAUSE YOU'LL MESS UP HIS/HER ARR. WE WERE A HVY DEP SO WE HAD A HIGHER ROTATION SPD, PLUS WE ROTATED SLOWER TO HAVE MORE SPD IF WE ENCOUNTERED ANY TURB. I PLAN ON NO LONGER ACCEPTING TIGHT SEQUENCING IN DCA FOR DEPS, AND WILL WAIVE ARRS WHEN THE DEPARTING ACFT IS JUST STARTING TKOF ROLL WHILE I'M ON SHORT FINAL. IT CAUSES ME TO QUESTION THE PWRS THAT FEEL DCA CAN HANDLE MORE TFC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SUFFERED SOME SEVERE BANK ANGLES SHORTLY AFTER LIFT-OFF. CAPT TOLD FO TO ANTICIPATE IT TO HAPPEN AS THEY BOTH KNEW THEY WERE FOLLOWING CLOSE BEHIND THE OFFENDING ACFT. FLC SAW ALL 3 MAIN GEAR ON THE GND. THEY DELAYED TKOF ROTATION SO THEY WOULD HAVE PLENTY OF EXTRA AIRSPD TO CLB THROUGH THE DEPARTING ACFT WAKE. THE ROLL WAS STEEP, BUT FLC HAD PARTIAL CTL SO THE ACFT COULD BE CTLED. CAPT SAID THE WAKE PROBS CONTINUED DURING CLBOUT AS THEY COULD NEVER FIND ANY UNDISTURBED AIR. WAKE WAS EVERYWHERE. SHOULD THE SAME SIT OCCUR AGAIN, THE CAPT WOULD REFUSE THE TKOF CLRNC. RPTR WAS ADAMANT THAT THERE IS NEVER ANY SMOOTH AIR ARRIVING OR DEPARTING DCA. BIGGEST COMPLAINT OF RPTR WAS, HE BELIEVES THE LEGAL SEPARATION STANDARDS ARE NEVER ADHERED TO AT DCA.

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.