Aerospace Global News published an explainer describing what wake turbulence is and how it affects flight safety. It says that when an aircraft takes off, flies overhead or comes in to land, it leaves behind an invisible trail of disturbed air, which most of the time quickly disappears without causing problems but in the right conditions can be strong enough to affect another aircraft flying through it.
The article says wake turbulence is a disturbance in the atmosphere caused by an aircraft as it generates lift, created by rotating masses of air called wake vortices that form behind an aircraft's wings. As the wings produce lift, higher pressure below and lower pressure above cause air to move around the wingtips, creating two spinning currents of air that trail behind the aircraft, known as wingtip vortices.
On strength, the article says that in general the heavier the aircraft, the stronger its wake, citing a large, fully loaded passenger aircraft like a Boeing 787 compared with a small Cessna 152 training aircraft. It adds that when an aircraft is flying slowly, its wings need to work harder to produce enough lift, which can make the vortices stronger.
The article cites a real-world example in 2022, when a US Air Force F-35 crashed while approaching Hill Air Force Base in Utah; an investigation found that wake turbulence from another F-35 contributed to the accident. The encounter caused an unexpected aircraft response, and the investigation also identified pilot procedural issues and other contributing factors.
On management, the article says air traffic controllers use separation requirements to keep aircraft far enough apart for the wake from one aircraft.
