Rotor Wash

Dealing with prop wash or jet blast is relatively straightforward: It is directed behind the aircraft. Wingtip vortices are a bit more complicated, but still they are easy enough to visualize. Helicopter rotorwash can almost be seen as a hybrid blend of the two. A recent accident at a Colorado airport implicated the rotor wash from a Blackhawk helicopter in the pattern with a Cirrus. It did not end well for the Cirrus, which dragged a wing tip and cartwheeled while in the landing flare. The drift of rotor wash from the recently departed Blackhawk is suspected as a contributing factor.

Key Takeaways:

• Helicopter rotorwash is a complex and significant form of wake turbulence, distinct from prop wash or wingtip vortices, and its behavior is difficult to visualize.
• A recent accident where a Cirrus cartwheeled during landing, possibly due to a Blackhawk's rotorwash, underscores the serious hazard helicopter wake poses to small aircraft.
• The Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) advises pilots of small aircraft to exercise caution and maintain distance (e.g., three rotor diameters) from landing, departing, or hovering helicopters to mitigate risks from rotorwash.

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