Wake Turbulence In IMC

From my base in Santa Barbara, Calif., I often fly north to San Jose (KSJC). At San Jose, GA aircraft operate from Runway 29, parallel and to the west of the two main runways, 30L and 30R for jets. All the runways have straight-out IFR missed-approach procedures.One night, while I was waiting for release on 29, Southwest 376 (a 737) reported on final and asked, How close is 376 to the killer bee ahead? He was referring to a 757 and its reputation for leaving a brutal wake.

Key Takeaways:

• Air Traffic Control (ATC) explicitly places the responsibility for wake turbulence avoidance solely on the pilot, even when clearances create hazardous situations for General Aviation (GA) aircraft, particularly during missed approaches.
• The author encountered a critical wake turbulence risk at John Wayne Airport when ATC cleared a 757 for takeoff during his approach, and the ATC-recommended missed approach procedure would have led to a wake encounter.
• Dialogue with ATC post-incident revealed their limited practical solutions for GA pilots dealing with wake turbulence during a go-around, reinforcing that pilots must proactively devise and execute their own avoidance strategies.

Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->

See a mistake? Contact us.