Army Black Hawk helicopter forces two jetliners to abort landings at DCA
Karyoplasma @ Karyoplasma @discuss.tchncs.de Posts 0Comments 1,403Joined 2 yr. ago
Karyoplasma @ Karyoplasma @discuss.tchncs.de
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In case you are wondering, the reason why the ATC made the planes perform a go-around is likely not to avoid mid-air collision, but because it is very dangerous to attempt a landing after a helicopter left or landed due to wake turbulence. Essentially, the rotor rotation of the helicopter creates an invisible disturbance in the air that lingers for quite a while and can cause the trailing plane to bank uncontrollably. IIRC the FAA standard calls for 2 minutes to pass to allow the wake turbulence to dissipate.
Here is a video that demonstrates what can happen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZLXMKMgnS8