ARMENIAN A320 BUMPED AROUND BY A380 WAKE?

Aero-News Network
BlockID=44dae1e1-209a-4d78-aa83-a77d676398f2
Jan 13 2009
FL

Details remain sketchy at this point, and there’s some information
that’s likely "lost in translation" — but it appears an Airbus A320
narrowbody encountered some moderate to severe clear air turbulence
this weekend, which may have been caused by the wake from an Emirates
A380 overflying the smaller plane.

Armenian news reports state the Armavia Airlines A320 was over the
former Soviet state of Georgia when the plane suddenly banked sharply
to the right, triggering an automatic disconnect of the aircraft’s
autopilot system. The flight crew was able to quickly regain control,
and the A320 continued on safely to its destination of Yerevan.

Armavia states that at the time of the incident, an Emirates superjumbo
from Dubai to New York was ‘flying in parallel’ to the smaller plane,
roughly 300 meters (approximately 984 feet) higher. The carrier
believes the rough ride for its A320 was caused by wake vortices off
the wingtips of the much larger Heavy.

An investigation has been launched… but at face value the A380
appears to have been in compliance with International Civil Aviation
Organization standards for Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM)
operations, which call for 1,000 foot vertical separation between
conflicting traffic above FL290.

If Armavia’s theory holds up, however, it may result in ICAO revisiting
the minimum separation guidelines for traffic in trail of an A380.

As ANN reported in 2006, a three-year study determined wake vortices
off an A380 in cruise flight were no greater than from any other Heavy
aircraft (the A380 is officially designated as a "Super" Heavy), though
stricter guidelines are in place when an A380 is landing or taking off