What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Incident notification received via awp daily report indicating an aircraft declaring an emergency and landing without incident due to a suspected aileron malfunction. Investigation revealed it was an unexpected wake turbuence encounter.
Contacted Los Alamitos army air field, determined correct registration number was N7205J. Determined aircraft was operated by dubois aviation at cno. Contacted dubois aviation and obtained pilot information. Pilot was a flight instructor. Pilot stated the company was performing a fly-in with several company aircraft from cno to avx.
9/11/17 Investigating inspector performed telephone interview of pilot and determined he was operating his aircraft below and behind a twin engine company aircraft (at least 1000 ft separation) and was momentarily in the other aircraft's wake turbulence for about 5 seconds while at 4500 feet enroute to catalina. He decided to make a precautionary landing before continuing to catalina island. The school's mechanic was also on board N7205J; after precautionary landing the pilot and mechanic inspected aircraft and determined it was not a flight control malfunction and continued flight without further issue to avx and then home to cno. Pilot was adequately spaced and wake turbulence encounter was not anticipated based on spacing, however atmospheric conditions could have contributed to pilot encountering the wake turbulence when it would not have normally been encountered.
As the FAA filed it
INCIDENT NOTIFICATION RECEIVED VIA AWP DAILY REPORT INDICATING AN AIRCRAFT DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND LANDING WITHOUT INCIDENT DUE TO A SUSPECTED AILERON MALFUNCTION. INVESTIGATION REVEALED IT WAS AN UNEXPECTED WAKE TURBUENCE ENCOUNTER.
CONTACTED LOS ALAMITOS ARMY AIR FIELD, DETERMINED CORRECT REGISTRATION NUMBER WAS N7205J. DETERMINED AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED BY DUBOIS AVIATION AT CNO. CONTACTED DUBOIS AVIATION AND OBTAINED PILOT INFORMATION. PILOT WAS A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. PILOT STATED THE COMPANY WAS PERFORMING A FLY-IN WITH SEVERAL COMPANY AIRCRAFT FROM CNO TO AVX.
9/11/17 INVESTIGATING INSPECTOR PERFORMED TELEPHONE INTERVIEW OF PILOT AND DETERMINED HE WAS OPERATING HIS AIRCRAFT BELOW AND BEHIND A TWIN ENGINE COMPANY AIRCRAFT (AT LEAST 1000 FT SEPARATION) AND WAS MOMENTARILY IN THE OTHER AIRCRAFT'S WAKE TURBULENCE FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS WHILE AT 4500 FEET ENROUTE TO CATALINA. HE DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING BEFORE CONTINUING TO CATALINA ISLAND. THE SCHOOL'S MECHANIC WAS ALSO ON BOARD N7205J; AFTER PRECAUTIONARY LANDING THE PILOT AND MECHANIC INSPECTED AIRCRAFT AND DETERMINED IT WAS NOT A FLIGHT CONTROL MALFUNCTION AND CONTINUED FLIGHT WITHOUT FURTHER ISSUE TO AVX AND THEN HOME TO CNO. PILOT WAS ADEQUATELY SPACED AND WAKE TURBULENCE ENCOUNTER WAS NOT ANTICIPATED BASED ON SPACING, HOWEVER ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO PILOT ENCOUNTERING THE WAKE TURBULENCE WHEN IT WOULD NOT HAVE NORMALLY BEEN ENCOUNTERED.
Other reports on N7205J · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.