Narrative:

I was a passenger on a flight. Shortly after liftoff; the plane rapidly rolled left. The PF corrected rapidly to the right (past neutral and into a right bank) and then the plane again rolled rapidly to the left. The pilot again corrected to the right and then there was light chop at that time. The remainder of the flight was uneventful. Upon landing another passenger asked the pilot whether we hit wake turbulence and was told that it was wake turbulence from an airbus. This is an important problem because it could have been much worse. Please make sure this is recorded and the appropriate people are notified. It may be that we were released for departure too early or that our current separation standards are not adequate. I know in general aviation; when the controller warns the pilot of wake turbulence; it is the pilot's responsibility to avoid it. I did not think scheduled air carriers should have such an option and guidelines should be such that this type of encounter does not occur.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PAX RPTED A WAKE VORTEX ENCOUNTER ON TAKEOFF IN A CRJ.

Narrative: I WAS A PAX ON A FLT. SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF; THE PLANE RAPIDLY ROLLED L. THE PF CORRECTED RAPIDLY TO THE R (PAST NEUTRAL AND INTO A R BANK) AND THEN THE PLANE AGAIN ROLLED RAPIDLY TO THE L. THE PLT AGAIN CORRECTED TO THE R AND THEN THERE WAS LIGHT CHOP AT THAT TIME. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. UPON LNDG ANOTHER PAX ASKED THE PLT WHETHER WE HIT WAKE TURB AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS WAKE TURB FROM AN AIRBUS. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PROBLEM BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. PLEASE MAKE SURE THIS IS RECORDED AND THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE ARE NOTIFIED. IT MAY BE THAT WE WERE RELEASED FOR DEP TOO EARLY OR THAT OUR CURRENT SEPARATION STANDARDS ARE NOT ADEQUATE. I KNOW IN GENERAL AVIATION; WHEN THE CTLR WARNS THE PLT OF WAKE TURB; IT IS THE PLT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO AVOID IT. I DID NOT THINK SCHEDULED AIR CARRIERS SHOULD HAVE SUCH AN OPTION AND GUIDELINES SHOULD BE SUCH THAT THIS TYPE OF ENCOUNTER DOES NOT OCCUR.

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.