Small aircraft encounters wake turbulence on climb out.

Attributes
ACN	283073
Time
Date	199409
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : psp
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : psp
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 510 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	283073
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Left chiraco summit for low approach (VOR) at psp. Around xxam sep/sun/94. Flying left seat in a 4 seat, single engine piper archer, PA28-181. Another pilot (instrument, cfii) was in right seat. I was just executing low approach and was midfield over psp, when we were given instructions to climb to 7000 ft. We were headed through banning pass to sbd. Approach told us 'caution wake turbulence departing aircraft.' going off runway 31R climbing and heading northbound. I don't believe he told us what type aircraft it was. My friend concurred. I had taken the foggles off and we were heading about 290-295 degrees climbing as instructed. As we approached 3000 ft MSL, we started experiencing light turbulence in the plane, up and downs. I thought it was thermals or mountain waves, so did the other pilot. But these never subsided, they continued. As we climbed through or near 4000 ft MSL, the plane rocked and then abruptly and violently turned 90 degrees on the right wingtip and then back level. We were both strapped in with lap and shoulder belts. Nonetheless, I hit my head hard on the ceiling as we flipped and fell over on my friend in the right seat. Then the bumping and shaking stopped. As we first felt the 'shakes' and believed them to be thermals or waves, I consciously eased up on the throttle to reduce rpms and airspeed. I sought to keep it level attitude. We never gained or lost altitude though, as we would have in thermal up and down drafts, but we never thought of that. Didn't even consider wake turbulence at first. Winds were pretty calm and we now believe we flew (climbed right up through) vortices created by larger commercial aircraft. My friend, an air traffic controller, believes it was a 737 aircraft. When originally cautioned, larger aircraft was 2-3 mi off departure end already. I'm thinking it was 10 mins later we hit the 'shock' wave. Plane was long gone, but effects weren't. It really shook us up. It's as if a giant held our plane in his hands and turned us left to right at will.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENCOUNTERS WAKE TURB ON CLBOUT.

Narrative: LEFT CHIRACO SUMMIT FOR LOW APCH (VOR) AT PSP. AROUND XXAM SEP/SUN/94. FLYING L SEAT IN A 4 SEAT, SINGLE ENG PIPER ARCHER, PA28-181. ANOTHER PLT (INST, CFII) WAS IN R SEAT. I WAS JUST EXECUTING LOW APCH AND WAS MIDFIELD OVER PSP, WHEN WE WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO CLB TO 7000 FT. WE WERE HEADED THROUGH BANNING PASS TO SBD. APCH TOLD US 'CAUTION WAKE TURB DEPARTING ACFT.' GOING OFF RWY 31R CLBING AND HDG NBOUND. I DON'T BELIEVE HE TOLD US WHAT TYPE ACFT IT WAS. MY FRIEND CONCURRED. I HAD TAKEN THE FOGGLES OFF AND WE WERE HDG ABOUT 290-295 DEGS CLBING AS INSTRUCTED. AS WE APCHED 3000 FT MSL, WE STARTED EXPERIENCING LIGHT TURB IN THE PLANE, UP AND DOWNS. I THOUGHT IT WAS THERMALS OR MOUNTAIN WAVES, SO DID THE OTHER PLT. BUT THESE NEVER SUBSIDED, THEY CONTINUED. AS WE CLBED THROUGH OR NEAR 4000 FT MSL, THE PLANE ROCKED AND THEN ABRUPTLY AND VIOLENTLY TURNED 90 DEGS ON THE R WINGTIP AND THEN BACK LEVEL. WE WERE BOTH STRAPPED IN WITH LAP AND SHOULDER BELTS. NONETHELESS, I HIT MY HEAD HARD ON THE CEILING AS WE FLIPPED AND FELL OVER ON MY FRIEND IN THE R SEAT. THEN THE BUMPING AND SHAKING STOPPED. AS WE FIRST FELT THE 'SHAKES' AND BELIEVED THEM TO BE THERMALS OR WAVES, I CONSCIOUSLY EASED UP ON THE THROTTLE TO REDUCE RPMS AND AIRSPD. I SOUGHT TO KEEP IT LEVEL ATTITUDE. WE NEVER GAINED OR LOST ALT THOUGH, AS WE WOULD HAVE IN THERMAL UP AND DOWN DRAFTS, BUT WE NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT. DIDN'T EVEN CONSIDER WAKE TURB AT FIRST. WINDS WERE PRETTY CALM AND WE NOW BELIEVE WE FLEW (CLBED RIGHT UP THROUGH) VORTICES CREATED BY LARGER COMMERCIAL ACFT. MY FRIEND, AN AIR TFC CTLR, BELIEVES IT WAS A 737 ACFT. WHEN ORIGINALLY CAUTIONED, LARGER ACFT WAS 2-3 MI OFF DEP END ALREADY. I'M THINKING IT WAS 10 MINS LATER WE HIT THE 'SHOCK' WAVE. PLANE WAS LONG GONE, BUT EFFECTS WEREN'T. IT REALLY SHOOK US UP. IT'S AS IF A GIANT HELD OUR PLANE IN HIS HANDS AND TURNED US L TO R AT WILL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.