Narrative:

Incident aircraft C177RG vectored by approach to runway 3 geg initially then directed out of traffic flow vector heading 250 degrees direct 290 degrees direct 350 degrees to overfly fairchild AFB in favor of heavy landing traffic; a scheduled air carrier. Heavy air passenger carrier landed runway 3 and incident aircraft directed to contact tower 118.3 and expedite your approach to landing on runway 7. Cross traffic intersection visibility at time of incident unrestr; WX clear; temperature 12 degrees C. Landing runways both paved/dry/lighted. A second passenger carrier was cleared on approach to runway 3 within 2 mins at same time incident aircraft cleared to land on runway 7. Approach speed of regional jet greater than twice that of incident aircraft so aircraft were rapidly converging on intersection. Regional jet PIC asked tower; 'spokane; what do you want me to do I'm committed here!' and C177R then was directed to 'execute 270 turn; landing clearance canceled --expedite!' which caused unsafe flight condition. Incident PIC was obliged to execute maneuvering altitude in close proximity to ground; estimated cancellation received within 50-100 ft of ht above threshold runway 7; with flaps fully extended and throttle closed in final approach confign; endangering incident aircraft and 3 passenger. While executing emergency abort go around incident PIC was ordered to read back instructions. A further distraction following an already botched inappropriate ATC directive; incident pilot retracted flaps; gear and applied full throttle to establish positive rate of climb and entered l-hand 30 degree bank turn; reported receipt of instruction in turn. Regional jet then landed on runway 3 and C177 was 'cleared to land' runway 7. PIC advised ATC of intent to land long after runway 3 intersection and was acknowledged by ATC. However strong wake vortices encountered during overflt of intersection produced strong; disorienting violent pitching motion and incident aircraft developed more than 1000 FPM sink rate less than 50 ft AGL. Application of full power reduced sink enough to turn crash landing into a firm 'hard landing.' ATC tower controller then advised; 'left next taxiway monitor ground when off; thanks for your assistance.' this controller's poor judgement in permitting 2 aircraft to land nearly simultaneously on intersecting runways; instruction to perform unusual attitude maneuvers in close proximity to ground; and failure to consider vortex effects of disparate size aircraft all contributed to quickly developing real dangerous conditions; endangered passenger on both aircraft. Contributing to situation was poor situational awareness on approach ATC in permitting 'setup for failure' to develop by vectoring 2 aircraft to arrive simultaneously at intersecting runways; and subsequent frantic; hurried 'dump off' of arriving aircraft onto tower controllers with marginal/inadequate response time for deconfliction. Controllers also failed to recognize that having affected incident aircraft 'land long' of intersection with reduced available runway 7 remaining. Necessity to use full flaps caused slower approach speed and limited ability to 'expedite' approach; an additional factor which contributed to simultaneous arrival.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C177 ON VERY SHORT FINAL TO RWY 7 AT GEG WAS ISSUED GAR BECAUSE OF ACR TFC LNDG ON RWY 03 RESULTING IN WAKE TURB ENCOUNTER AT RWY INTXN.

Narrative: INCIDENT ACFT C177RG VECTORED BY APCH TO RWY 3 GEG INITIALLY THEN DIRECTED OUT OF TFC FLOW VECTOR HDG 250 DEGS DIRECT 290 DEGS DIRECT 350 DEGS TO OVERFLY FAIRCHILD AFB IN FAVOR OF HVY LNDG TFC; A SCHEDULED ACR. HVY AIR PAX CARRIER LANDED RWY 3 AND INCIDENT ACFT DIRECTED TO CONTACT TWR 118.3 AND EXPEDITE YOUR APCH TO LNDG ON RWY 7. CROSS TFC INTXN VISIBILITY AT TIME OF INCIDENT UNRESTR; WX CLR; TEMP 12 DEGS C. LNDG RWYS BOTH PAVED/DRY/LIGHTED. A SECOND PAX CARRIER WAS CLRED ON APCH TO RWY 3 WITHIN 2 MINS AT SAME TIME INCIDENT ACFT CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 7. APCH SPD OF REGIONAL JET GREATER THAN TWICE THAT OF INCIDENT ACFT SO ACFT WERE RAPIDLY CONVERGING ON INTXN. REGIONAL JET PIC ASKED TWR; 'SPOKANE; WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO I'M COMMITTED HERE!' AND C177R THEN WAS DIRECTED TO 'EXECUTE 270 TURN; LNDG CLRNC CANCELED --EXPEDITE!' WHICH CAUSED UNSAFE FLT CONDITION. INCIDENT PIC WAS OBLIGED TO EXECUTE MANEUVERING ALT IN CLOSE PROX TO GND; ESTIMATED CANCELLATION RECEIVED WITHIN 50-100 FT OF HT ABOVE THRESHOLD RWY 7; WITH FLAPS FULLY EXTENDED AND THROTTLE CLOSED IN FINAL APCH CONFIGN; ENDANGERING INCIDENT ACFT AND 3 PAX. WHILE EXECUTING EMER ABORT GAR INCIDENT PIC WAS ORDERED TO READ BACK INSTRUCTIONS. A FURTHER DISTR FOLLOWING AN ALREADY BOTCHED INAPPROPRIATE ATC DIRECTIVE; INCIDENT PLT RETRACTED FLAPS; GEAR AND APPLIED FULL THROTTLE TO ESTABLISH POSITIVE RATE OF CLB AND ENTERED L-HAND 30 DEG BANK TURN; RPTED RECEIPT OF INSTRUCTION IN TURN. REGIONAL JET THEN LANDED ON RWY 3 AND C177 WAS 'CLRED TO LAND' RWY 7. PIC ADVISED ATC OF INTENT TO LAND LONG AFTER RWY 3 INTXN AND WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY ATC. HOWEVER STRONG WAKE VORTICES ENCOUNTERED DURING OVERFLT OF INTXN PRODUCED STRONG; DISORIENTING VIOLENT PITCHING MOTION AND INCIDENT ACFT DEVELOPED MORE THAN 1000 FPM SINK RATE LESS THAN 50 FT AGL. APPLICATION OF FULL PWR REDUCED SINK ENOUGH TO TURN CRASH LNDG INTO A FIRM 'HARD LNDG.' ATC TWR CTLR THEN ADVISED; 'L NEXT TXWY MONITOR GND WHEN OFF; THANKS FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE.' THIS CTLR'S POOR JUDGEMENT IN PERMITTING 2 ACFT TO LAND NEARLY SIMULTANEOUSLY ON INTERSECTING RWYS; INSTRUCTION TO PERFORM UNUSUAL ATTITUDE MANEUVERS IN CLOSE PROX TO GND; AND FAILURE TO CONSIDER VORTEX EFFECTS OF DISPARATE SIZE ACFT ALL CONTRIBUTED TO QUICKLY DEVELOPING REAL DANGEROUS CONDITIONS; ENDANGERED PAX ON BOTH ACFT. CONTRIBUTING TO SITUATION WAS POOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ON APCH ATC IN PERMITTING 'SETUP FOR FAILURE' TO DEVELOP BY VECTORING 2 ACFT TO ARRIVE SIMULTANEOUSLY AT INTERSECTING RWYS; AND SUBSEQUENT FRANTIC; HURRIED 'DUMP OFF' OF ARRIVING ACFT ONTO TWR CTLRS WITH MARGINAL/INADEQUATE RESPONSE TIME FOR DECONFLICTION. CTLRS ALSO FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THAT HAVING AFFECTED INCIDENT ACFT 'LAND LONG' OF INTXN WITH REDUCED AVAILABLE RWY 7 REMAINING. NECESSITY TO USE FULL FLAPS CAUSED SLOWER APCH SPD AND LIMITED ABILITY TO 'EXPEDITE' APCH; AN ADDITIONAL FACTOR WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO SIMULTANEOUS ARR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.