The Wake: Invisible Gremlin Grabs Your Attention

It's important to be aware that any airplane can create wake turbulence.

Leonardo Correa Luna

Monday, December 09, 2024 at 08:50 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: tccjeremy

The dangers of wake turbulence, no matter the size of the aircraft, are real. [Image: Joel Kimmel]

Key Takeaways:

An experienced pilot encountered unexpected severe wake turbulence from a lead light aircraft (PT-19) on final approach, despite believing he had maintained adequate separation.
The incident occurred due to specific environmental factors: calm wind, trees alongside the runway, and the lead aircraft's long landing, which caused vortices to linger at approximately 50 feet AGL.
The pilot's quick, instinctive recovery actions, including immediate full throttle, pushing the nose down, and precise rudder and aileron inputs, were critical in preventing a stall-spin and ensuring a safe landing from a critical low-altitude situation.

See a mistake? Contact us.

I pressed the push-to-talk button on the yoke and called, “We are done, Jim. We got the photos. You are lead. Let’s go home.” Jim started a left turn, and I enjoyed the beautiful lines of his PT-19 as he crossed one more time in front of the sun—on fire, majestic.

As Ed, my safety pilot, was not rated in taildraggers, I asked him to allow me to take over—“My plane, Ed.” I was happy to have an excuse to take over as the conditions couldn’t be better. The air was still and smooth, and the fields of Michigan started the metamorphosis from yellowish green to dark blue as the sun was going down.