# Aircraft wake turb encounter - Type: NTSB defining event - NTSB code: 361 - CICTT category: Turbulence - Defining event in: 29 cases - In the sequence of: 37 cases - Fatal cases: 7 - All cases: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/361/cases.md - Cases with it anywhere in the sequence: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/361/sequence.md - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/361 ## Cases per year (defining / in the sequence) - 2008: 2 / 2 - 2009: 1 / 1 - 2011: 1 / 1 - 2012: 1 / 3 - 2013: 2 / 2 - 2014: 3 / 3 - 2015: 0 / 1 - 2016: 2 / 3 - 2017: 2 / 4 - 2018: 1 / 2 - 2020: 0 / 1 - 2021: 2 / 2 - 2022: 1 / 1 - 2023: 3 / 3 - 2024: 4 / 4 - 2025: 4 / 4 ## Phase of flight - Landing: 7 cases - Approach-VFR pattern final: 7 cases - Landing-flare/touchdown: 4 cases - Enroute-cruise: 3 cases - Initial climb: 3 cases - Takeoff: 3 cases - Approach: 1 cases - Enroute: 1 cases ## In the probable cause of these cases - [Wake turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032025) (Environmental issues): 20 cases - [Aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040) (Personnel issues): 13 cases - [Decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520) (Personnel issues): 9 cases - [Identification/recognition](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510) (Personnel issues): 5 cases - [Performance/control parameters, general](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000) (Aircraft): 4 cases - [Monitoring other aircraft](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021540) (Personnel issues): 3 cases - [Lateral/bank control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062023) (Aircraft): 3 cases - [Directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020) (Aircraft): 3 cases - [Lack of communication](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063510) (Personnel issues): 2 cases - [Lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030) (Personnel issues): 2 cases ## Aircraft models (registry) - [Cirrus Design SR22](https://openairdocs.org/model/cirrus-design-sr22): 2 cases - [Cessna 172M](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m): 2 cases - [Taylorcraft BC12-D](https://openairdocs.org/model/taylorcraft-bc12-d): 1 cases - [Piper PA-28R-200](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-200): 1 cases - [Piper PA-28-140](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140): 1 cases - [Piper PA-20-135](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-20-135): 1 cases - [Piper PA-18](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18): 1 cases - [Embraer S A ERJ 170-200 LR](https://openairdocs.org/model/embraer-s-a-erj-170-200-lr): 1 cases - [Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1](https://openairdocs.org/model/diamond-aircraft-ind-da20-c1): 1 cases - [Cirrus Design SR22T](https://openairdocs.org/model/cirrus-design-sr22t): 1 cases ## Newest cases - [NTSB DCA26WA089](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26WA089), Dec 28, 2025: Boeing 737-800 (EI-HGO), (Birmingham, United Kingdom, no damage - [NTSB GAA25WA279](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA25WA279), May 27, 2025: Beech 1900 (F-GLNE), Aix-les-Milles, France, occurrence, no damage - [NTSB CEN25LA132](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA132), Mar 22, 2025: Taylorcraft BC12 (N39158), Russellville, AR, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the U.S. Army helicopter pilots to yield the right-of-way to the landing airplane, which resulted in the airplane encountering wake turbulence emitted from the three departing U.S.… - [NTSB ANC25LA020](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC25LA020), Feb 20, 2025: Cessna 172M (N19867), Kapolei, HI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The flight instructor’s failure to avoid wake turbulence from a heavy airplane departing from a parallel runway, which resulted in a loss of airplane control during initial climb after a touch-and-go… - [NTSB WPR25LA041](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA041), Nov 17, 2024: Cirrus Design SR22T (N828PS), Palm Springs, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a commercial airliner which resulted in an encounter with wake turbulence and subsequent loss of control resulting in impact with terrain. - [NTSB ANC24LA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC24LA093), Sep 14, 2024: Cessna 180B (N5275E), Anchorage, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s encounter with wake turbulence, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. - [NTSB ERA24LA212](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA212), May 2, 2024: Piper PA-20-135 (N8290C), Georgetown, OH, substantial damage. Probable cause: An inadvertent encounter with the rotor wash of a nearby hovering helicopter during landing, which resulted in a loss of control and a runway excursion. - [NTSB WPR24LA085](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24LA085), Feb 11, 2024: Evektor-Aerotechnik A S Harmony LSA (N377YG), Santa Ana, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: A loss of airplane control due to wake turbulence resulting from the instructor pilot’s decision to continue the landing into a drifting wake vortex. - [NTSB ERA23LA353](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23LA353), Aug 28, 2023: Bellanca 7ECA (N8679V), Hopkinsville, KY, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s inadvertent encounter with helicopter wake turbulence during initial climb, which resulted in a loss of airplane control. - [NTSB WPR23LA277](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA277), Jul 17, 2023: Evolution Revolt (N277GH), Casper, WY, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s loss of directional control during landing after encountering wake turbulence. NTSB has coded findings and defining events since 2008; earlier cases used its older occurrence and cause codes and aren't counted. Findings: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings.md. Defining events: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events.md. Phases of flight: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases.md. Every investigation, filtered by finding, event, phase, state, year or model: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb.md (for example ?state=MI&fatal=1). NTSB's definitions: Accident and incident, 49 CFR 830.2 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-VIII/part-830/subpart-A/section-830.2), CICTT occurrence categories (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/OccurrenceCategoryDefinitions.pdf), CICTT phases of flight (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/PhaseofFlightDefinitions.pdf), and NTSB coding manual, before 2008 (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). NTSB publishes no definitions for its findings, only their names. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.