Which categories are specified as landing behind a departing Category B, C, or D aircraft on a crossing runway with the arrival required to stay clear by 2 minutes?

• A. E through I
• B. B through D
• C. A through E
• D. C through G

Answer: (A)

Wake turbulence management on crossing runways uses time-based separation to keep arriving traffic clear of the wake produced by a departing aircraft. When a departure in the heavier B/C/D range goes on a crossing runway, arrivals on the crossing runway must remain clear for a certain period—here, two minutes.

The categories that must adhere to that two-minute stay-clear after such a departure are the lighter categories that follow in the sequence. In other words, the arrival categories from the next group through the last category (the lighter end) are the ones specified to land behind with that 2-minute clearance. That’s why the correct range is the later categories, from the category after D through the end (E through I). The other ranges would either include heavier categories not subject to this specific time rule or miss some of the lighter categories that do need the 2-minute separation.