WHILE the cause of last week’s plane crash in New York City is still unknown,
it seems likely that violent wake turbulence thrown up by another plane was at
least a factor in the disaster. Now observers are wondering why, decades after
wake vortices were first identified as a danger to aircraft, this threat to air
safety remains so poorly understood.
Wake vortices are horizontal tornadoes that stream corkscrew-like from the
flaps and wing tips of aircraft. Wakes either side of the plane rotate in
opposite directions and spin at up to 350 kilometres per hour.
The US National Transportation…
