PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 43; Flight Crew Total 124; Flight Crew Type 124
Workload; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Wake Vortex Encounter; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Procedure; Human Factors
[We were cleared] for a practice ILS approach to RWY 09 at JZI. The crew consisted of myself (simulated instrument for this approach) and a safety pilot. I completed the procedure turn; and proceeded inbound. At this point in the approach; CHS TRACON was still providing traffic advisories to our aircraft and other aircraft inbound to JZI. Very near glideslope interception; we overheard a Falcon discussing with TRACON a potential traffic conflict. The jet reported having Cherokee traffic in sight. TRACON then contacted us with an advisory that traffic was just behind us and at a slightly higher altitude; but descending into JZI. The controller directed us to maintain 1;500 feet. The safety pilot immediately read back the instruction to TRACON and attempted to query how close the traffic was to our position. TRACON did not immediately acknowledge the call and told the Falcon pilot that we were no longer talking to her. Upon hearing this; the safety pilot again repeated the assigned altitude and queried the controller about the position of the traffic. Before the controller could reply; the jet overtook us at about 400-600 feet vertically; and 800 feet laterally. Significant wake turbulence from the jet affected us nearly immediately; as we did not have proper time or space for avoidance procedures. I immediately added power and stayed above the jet's glide path. I terminated the approach; as it was no longer stabilized; and the Falcon was on the runway. Upon going missed; we were assigned a new transponder code; and we proceeded to our next destination with no further issues. Contributing factors to this include:-A heavy workload for both TRACON and myself and safety pilot-Controller may have had difficulty hearing or understanding aircraft with all of the airplanes in the airspace at that time.-The fact that 2 airplanes were cleared into JZI to the same runway at the same time with such little separation (especially considering the different approach speeds).
Human performance considerations:1) Our workload was high during/intercepting the approach in turbulent conditions2) Controller seemed to have issues understanding us at times and at others could hear us loud and clear. We found no issues after multiple radio checks3) Controller workload seemed very high. There was a lot of incoming/outbound traffic 4) Lack of clear communication caused the problem5) Minimal separation of aircraft with vastly different approach speeds is dangerous; we would have gladly been vectored around to allow jet traffic to go ahead of us instead of overtake us on a practice ILS approach
PA28 pilot and safety pilot reported an airborne conflict and wake turbulence encounter when ATC cleared a Falcon jet for approach to the same runway they were flying a practice ILS to.