Wake Turbulence Evolution and Hazard Analysis for General Aviation Takeoff Accident

What is it about?

Wake turbulence is commonly a commercial aviation topic involving relatively heavy transport aircraft. However, wake turbulence is also safety relevant for business and general aviation flight operations. A detailed analysis has been conducted for a specific accident involving two relatively small aircraft. A four-seat aircraft took off behind a biplane. This led to a fatal accident. Based on available information and several assumptions the wake turbulence aspects for the specific accident scenario have been assessed. The rolling motion around the longitudinal axis was the dominating factor for the accident aircraft in this case. Accordingly, the respective physics for the impact of the wake vortex were analyzed. Furthermore, the wake vortex behavior was simulated and analyzed in detail. The results indicate that wake turbulence can be considered to be the cause for the accident. The theoretical results and the conclusions regarding the accident are also supported by the results of flight tests, which were conducted in the context of the accident investigation.

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