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 significant and complex aviation hazard, implicated in a recent accident where it caused a Cirrus aircraft to crash during landing.
• Unlike fixed-wing aircraft wake turbulence, helicopter rotorwash is particularly difficult to visualize and predict, especially during changes in flight like hover to taxi.
• The Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) advises pilots of small aircraft to exercise caution around helicopters, particularly avoiding operating within three rotor diameters of those in a slow hover taxi or stationary hover due to strong trailing vortices.

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