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The Displaced-Threshold Trap

The pilot of a Baron landing Runway 30R at Bakersfield, Calif., told me this story. The runway is two miles long, but has a 3500-foot displaced threshold.Tower cleared me to land with a Caution wake turbulence behind the departing single-engine Cessna. That didnt sound too bad. As I broke out, I aimed for the standard touchdown point and spotted an airplane ahead.

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A pilot experienced severe wake turbulence during landing, causing a sudden and dangerous loss of altitude after being warned about a "departing single-engine Cessna."
  • The preceding aircraft was actually a larger "FedEx Caravan," indicating the Air Traffic Control (ATC) warning was inaccurate and underestimated the potential wake turbulence.
  • The incident highlights the critical importance of accurate and specific aircraft identification in wake turbulence warnings to ensure pilot awareness and safety.
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The pilot of a Baron landing Runway 30R at Bakersfield, Calif., told me this story. The runway is two miles long, but has a 3500-foot displaced threshold.

“Tower cleared me to land with a ‘Caution wake turbulence behind the departing single-engine Cessna.’ That didn’t sound too bad. As I broke out, I aimed for the standard touchdown point and spotted an airplane ahead.

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