Wake turbulence separation minima must continue to which action for all IFR aircraft not making a visual approach or maintaining visual separation?

• A. Touchdown
• B. Takeoff
• C. Rollout
• D. Climbout

Answer: (A)

Wake turbulence safety hinges on keeping separation when pilots can’t rely on sight cues to judge spacing. If an aircraft is proceeding instrument-only or not maintaining visual separation, controllers must maintain wake separation until the lead aircraft has completed its landing and touched down. That touchdown point marks the end of the strongest wake vortices affecting following traffic on final, after which it’s safe to release the trailing aircraft to complete its approach or landing sequence.

So the action to continue until is touchdown, because the risk from the lead aircraft’s wake is greatest during the landing phase and diminishes after touchdown. Takeoff or climbout pertain to the departure side, and rollout occurs after landing; neither is the critical cutoff point for this rule.