Narrative:

Travis had me on flight following, had KC10 on final for travis. Cleared both of us at our altitudes -- no wake turbulence warning/caution. I flew 400-500 ft above path of KC10, hit wake turbulence, concussion up and down. All unstrapped cargo hit ceiling. Broke plastic bottle with force. Drove yoke lock out of seat pocket into suitcase. Flight manual scattered on floor. I checked (best possible) for airworthiness, made landing at davis. Contacted travis approach. Immediately they concurred I was 400-500 ft above KC10 path at time. Could have easily flipped the C182. Wake turbulence should fall? I contacted FAA rancho and travis supervisor, no recordings of radar to check both altitudes. I had a clear view of the KC10 path and maintained what I thought to be ample clearance above its path (400-500 ft). KC10 landing at travis at approximately 2000 ft. How far above flight path should we be to avoid wake turbulence on a KC10. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter participated in the structured wake turbulence callback program. Reporter felt confident he would not encounter any wake turbulence from preceding heavy aircraft as he was 400-500 ft higher than the KC10. When he encountered the wake, it was strong enough to break a plastic bottle and hammer the pilot with positive and negative forces. Pilot was concerned the aircraft had been damaged and had a mechanic help him postflt the aircraft to check for any structural stress indications. Pilot felt the wings might be coming off of the aircraft. Pilot felt there wasn't good warning of the wake turbulence and wanted better information as to where the wake was.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA (CE182) FLYING IN SUU, CA, AIRSPACE ENCOUNTERS WAKE TURB PASSING ABOVE AND BEHIND A KC10.

Narrative: TRAVIS HAD ME ON FLT FOLLOWING, HAD KC10 ON FINAL FOR TRAVIS. CLRED BOTH OF US AT OUR ALTS -- NO WAKE TURB WARNING/CAUTION. I FLEW 400-500 FT ABOVE PATH OF KC10, HIT WAKE TURB, CONCUSSION UP AND DOWN. ALL UNSTRAPPED CARGO HIT CEILING. BROKE PLASTIC BOTTLE WITH FORCE. DROVE YOKE LOCK OUT OF SEAT POCKET INTO SUITCASE. FLT MANUAL SCATTERED ON FLOOR. I CHKED (BEST POSSIBLE) FOR AIRWORTHINESS, MADE LNDG AT DAVIS. CONTACTED TRAVIS APCH. IMMEDIATELY THEY CONCURRED I WAS 400-500 FT ABOVE KC10 PATH AT TIME. COULD HAVE EASILY FLIPPED THE C182. WAKE TURB SHOULD FALL? I CONTACTED FAA RANCHO AND TRAVIS SUPVR, NO RECORDINGS OF RADAR TO CHK BOTH ALTS. I HAD A CLR VIEW OF THE KC10 PATH AND MAINTAINED WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE AMPLE CLRNC ABOVE ITS PATH (400-500 FT). KC10 LNDG AT TRAVIS AT APPROX 2000 FT. HOW FAR ABOVE FLT PATH SHOULD WE BE TO AVOID WAKE TURB ON A KC10. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR PARTICIPATED IN THE STRUCTURED WAKE TURB CALLBACK PROGRAM. RPTR FELT CONFIDENT HE WOULD NOT ENCOUNTER ANY WAKE TURB FROM PRECEDING HVY ACFT AS HE WAS 400-500 FT HIGHER THAN THE KC10. WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED THE WAKE, IT WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO BREAK A PLASTIC BOTTLE AND HAMMER THE PLT WITH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE FORCES. PLT WAS CONCERNED THE ACFT HAD BEEN DAMAGED AND HAD A MECH HELP HIM POSTFLT THE ACFT TO CHK FOR ANY STRUCTURAL STRESS INDICATIONS. PLT FELT THE WINGS MIGHT BE COMING OFF OF THE ACFT. PLT FELT THERE WASN'T GOOD WARNING OF THE WAKE TURB AND WANTED BETTER INFO AS TO WHERE THE WAKE WAS.

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.