The wind condition that requires maximum caution when avoiding wake turbulence on landing is

• A. Light, quartering tailwind
• B. Light, headwind
• C. Calm wind
• D. Strong crosswind

Answer: (A)

Wake turbulence trails from the previous aircraft sink and drift with the wind, so how the wind moves those vortices changes how risky following on final is. A light wind with a tailwind component, especially a quartering tailwind, carries the vortices forward and across the runway toward the landing aircraft, keeping them in the approach path longer and making them harder to avoid. The light wind means the vortices aren’t dispersed quickly, so exposure time remains high. With a headwind, the vortices tend to be blown away from the approach path, and a strong crosswind tends to push them to the side rather than along the final approach. Calm wind offers no drift to move the vortices, but the risk remains; the tailwind scenario most increases exposure, so it requires maximum caution.