B737-400
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Inflight Event / Encounter Wake Vortex Encounter
General None Reported / Taken
Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure
At Vr (153 KTS); we encountered a significant jolt similar to an engine seizure; but was in fact wake turbulence from the MD-80 that was on upwind. Our aircraft swiftly shifted right then left as I began rotating with both main gears still on the runway. I continued the rotation and climb and we experienced one other; albeit much less significant; wake turbulence roll encounter. DFW Tower was using the all too common technique of clearing one aircraft to take-off while the preceding aircraft has yet to rotate; using the absolute minimum standard of separation and requesting visual contact by the pilot (also used regularly at LAS and PHX to name a few). I believe that controllers have been misled to believe that if the aircraft ahead of you is of the same class; that you will not encounter wake turbulence. This is simply not the case; especially when the aircraft ahead of you is out-climbing you; which was our situation as we were near our maximum take-off weight. I am thankful that my main landing gear will still on the runway; as our experience could have been quite different had we just left the runway and experienced a roll event so close to the ground. I do not believe this technique to be acceptable nor safe and will no longer report the preceding aircraft in sight in order to get proper separation.
A B737-400 Captain encountered wake turbulence at Vr from the preceding MD-80. The Captain feels ATC procedures are a factor in encounters like these.