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Cessna 182 hits severe wake turbulence from military transport

By NASA · June 2, 2022 ·

This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.

Aircraft Y, a military transport, was flying south in front of us quite a distance (approximately 10-15 miles). ADS-B In data from my Garmin GDL50 and Foreflight stated he was -200 feet below us. It appeared he was at our elevation or maybe slightly higher, but was hard to tell for sure due to the distance and size of the aircraft.

I flew along in my Cessna 182 north of Pueblo Memorial Airport (KPUB) in Colorado as Aircraft Y made a right hand turn to line up with a runway at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (KCOS).

I was thinking about wake turbulence from their aircraft, but with the data I had, we were above them and should be no factor.

A few minutes later we hit severe wake turbulence, causing the airplane to violently roll to the left while losing altitude. I reacted quickly and kept the airplane level and under control.

There were no injuries or damage, but there certainly could have been as my passenger hit their head on the interior.

As Aircraft Y approached KCOS, its ADS-B still said they were level with us but KCOS would have been a couple thousand feet below, so something is amiss with either their ADS-B or the radar rebroadcast.

Primary Problem: Environment

ACN: 1841835 

About NASA

NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) captures confidential reports, analyzes the resulting aviation safety data, and disseminates vital information to the aviation community.

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Comments

  1. WK Taylor says

    June 3, 2022 at 7:10 am

    Similar-to experience… but by natural circumstances.

    My dad and I were flying his Thorp T18 across the mountains of Colorado in the 1974 coming back from OSH. We were were visually clearing ridgelines by a couple thousand feet.

    While crossing a uniquely straight mountain ridge in headwinds/turbulence, at a shallow angle, the aircraft violently rolled 90+ degrees left and it took FULL right stick just to stop the roll. Dad pulled the throttle back from cruise to flight idle as we [both] instinctively held full RT stick for about 15 seconds and dropped like a rock towards the terrain below. Too slowly [for me] we recovered to wings level much closer to terrain than I cared for.

    We had encountered a ‘clear-air roll vortex’ [my best description] shearing-off of the straight ridge we just approached it. We had to ‘patiently’ wait to regain control while watching the terrain. Then it was abruptly over and we rolled to wings level and dad went smoothly to climb power.

    The startle factor was huge: even for an experienced pilot, dad struggled to ‘keep breathing’, while holding his emotions in check. I was wide-eyed.

    On landing [more than an hour later] we did a detailed visual inspection for damage… especially the control system. Nothing. That tough little bird was undamaged and sitting pretty on the ramp.

    The challenges and danger of mountain flying hit me between the eyes that afternoon.

  2. scott k patterson says

    June 3, 2022 at 6:23 am

    45 years flying out of KPUB and all it’s concentrated military training activity, mostly heavies. Was never a problem, but, pre ABS-D and other wizard-wonders…we just looked out the windows.

    • scott k patterson says

      June 3, 2022 at 8:45 am

      I did a lot of weekend mountain flying consulting at Pueblo, Co. Summertime west bound easterners that turned around. Remember well an extremely furious wife, he pulled their Trinidad into a stall at 18,000′ over Salida.
      The old 2000′ and 45 degrees crossing ridges doesn’t work for many aircraft. High altitude 200fpm climb in a C172 doesn’t buy much time in a 2500fpm downdraft and 45 degree turn to get out.

  3. DM says

    June 3, 2022 at 4:55 am

    AIM chapter 7-4-9 provides separation requirements for wake turbulence, and the max (worst case) is 8 miles. If he had the target on ADSB, why the broad visual estimate of 10-15 miles? Possibly the military traffic was closer than he thought?

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