B737-700
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 359
Situational Awareness
Inflight Event / Encounter Wake Vortex Encounter; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control
Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control
Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure
While on a visual approach to ATL; we encountered wake turbulence. The aircraft began to roll right and went to 30 degrees bank and then began to pitch down. At that point; I disconnected the autopilot and auto-throttles and performed the Nose Down Unusual Attitude maneuver. The bank of the aircraft approached 40 degrees and the Bank Angle announced once. Pitch attitude was almost five degrees down. Once the aircraft was stable; I continued the approach uneventfully. The aircraft ahead of us was Aircraft Y which was on a similar flight path. Preceding that aircraft was Aircraft Z. Aircraft Y had arrived on the downwind leg to the airport and had requested a lower altitude while on base leg. I believe it was the Aircraft Y's wake turbulence we encountered.
Reporter stated the wake encounter was probably related to a heavy MD-11 ahead of them on the approach.
B737-700 Captain reported encountering wake turbulence on a visual approach to ATL in trail of an MD-11; resulting in a 40 degree roll and 5 degrees nose down attitude.