A CE560 at 8000 ft following an airbus reports encountering wake turbulence 8 NM behind and 2000 ft ...

Attributes
ACN	763167
Time
Date	200711
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : opf.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia.tracon
Operator	common carrier : charter
Make Model Name	Citation V
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : dvall
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia.tracon
Make Model Name	Airbus Industrie Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : charter
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 90
ASRS Report	763167
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : wake turbulence other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Environmental Factor

Narrative:

We were flying to opa locka; fl; on the DVALL1 arrival. From 15000 ft we were cleared to 10000 ft and 250 knots. We were turned 15 degrees left for spacing behind an airbus; and eventually cleared back onto the approach. Miami approach cleared us down to 3000 ft; and we began our descent. At 8000 ft; we hit what we believe was wake turbulence -- it abruptly put the aircraft into an extreme bank; twice; and caused the autopilot to kick off. There was no weather (it was VMC); or any other phenomenon that we know of that could have caused it. This was by far the worst wake turbulence I've experienced in my career. The captain reported it to miami approach; telling them he thought it was wake turbulence from the airbus. Miami approach responded that they didn't think it could be wake turbulence; as the airbus was 8 miles ahead and 2000 ft below us. I'm quite confident that it was; in fact; wake turbulence. I would guess that our descent took us through the flight path of the airbus; which also was in a descent. It's entirely conceivable that 8 miles prior; the airbus could have been at or above our altitude. Controllers need to better understand the phenomenon of en route wake turbulence; and how they can put an aircraft in jeopardy by causing it to fly through the wake of a preceding airplane. I'm quite thankful that we didn't have any passengers on board!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CE560 AT 8000 FT FOLLOWING AN AIRBUS REPORTS ENCOUNTERING WAKE TURBULENCE 8 NM BEHIND AND 2000 FT ABOVE IT.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING TO OPA LOCKA; FL; ON THE DVALL1 ARRIVAL. FROM 15000 FT WE WERE CLEARED TO 10000 FT AND 250 KNOTS. WE WERE TURNED 15 DEGREES LEFT FOR SPACING BEHIND AN AIRBUS; AND EVENTUALLY CLEARED BACK ONTO THE APPROACH. MIAMI APPROACH CLEARED US DOWN TO 3000 FT; AND WE BEGAN OUR DESCENT. AT 8000 FT; WE HIT WHAT WE BELIEVE WAS WAKE TURBULENCE -- IT ABRUPTLY PUT THE AIRCRAFT INTO AN EXTREME BANK; TWICE; AND CAUSED THE AUTOPILOT TO KICK OFF. THERE WAS NO WEATHER (IT WAS VMC); OR ANY OTHER PHENOMENON THAT WE KNOW OF THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED IT. THIS WAS BY FAR THE WORST WAKE TURBULENCE I'VE EXPERIENCED IN MY CAREER. THE CAPTAIN REPORTED IT TO MIAMI APPROACH; TELLING THEM HE THOUGHT IT WAS WAKE TURBULENCE FROM THE AIRBUS. MIAMI APPROACH RESPONDED THAT THEY DIDN'T THINK IT COULD BE WAKE TURBULENCE; AS THE AIRBUS WAS 8 MILES AHEAD AND 2000 FT BELOW US. I'M QUITE CONFIDENT THAT IT WAS; IN FACT; WAKE TURBULENCE. I WOULD GUESS THAT OUR DESCENT TOOK US THROUGH THE FLIGHT PATH OF THE AIRBUS; WHICH ALSO WAS IN A DESCENT. IT'S ENTIRELY CONCEIVABLE THAT 8 MILES PRIOR; THE AIRBUS COULD HAVE BEEN AT OR ABOVE OUR ALTITUDE. CONTROLLERS NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE PHENOMENON OF ENRTE WAKE TURBULENCE; AND HOW THEY CAN PUT AN AIRCRAFT IN JEOPARDY BY CAUSING IT TO FLY THROUGH THE WAKE OF A PRECEDING AIRPLANE. I'M QUITE THANKFUL THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PASSENGERS ON BOARD!

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.

A CE560 at 8000 ft following an airbus reports encountering wake turbulence 8 NM behind and 2000 ft above it.