Narrative:

We (aircraft X) were departing runway 1L at sfo, on a sfo-8 departure, which requires a right turn to 030 degree heading, awaiting vectors on course. We departed following a B757 (aircraft Y) which had taken off from runway 1R and was about 4 mi upwind when we began our takeoff roll. After airborne, we began a 15 - 20 degrees, angle of bank turn towards a 030 degree heading. At about a heading of 020 degree, we began to feel the first nibble of wake turbulence, and I told the captain that I would stop my turn there (020 degree heading) instead of continuing further into the potentially dangerous zone of wake turbulence which was towards our right. After only several seconds of a once again smooth ride, we again encountered wake turbulence, this time much more severe than the first. Countering the roll induced by the B757's wingtip vortex required close to 90 degrees of yoke deflection. I then attempted to try to climb above the preceding aircraft's flight path and turn back farther left (knowing that wingtip vortices flow aft, out and below the generating aircraft's wings). Already at our profile climb out speed (V2 + 20) I was unable to escape this potentially dangerous situation vertically (and the water was less than 1000 ft below me) so a slight turn to 10 degrees remedied the problem. My captain then made a courtesy call to bay approach to inform them that we had encountered wake turbulence and, as a result, had to roll out on a heading of 010 degrees. Although I am positive that the controller would not have been able to detect via his radar that our flight path was deviating from 'normal' at this time, once he was informed of our deviation by my captain, he incredibly gave us a hard time for deviating from our assigned departure. In fact, he told us that in the future we should ask for and receive clearance from ATC prior to performing any wake turbulence avoidance/recovery maneuver. The controller continued to berate us, despite our attempts to explain the severity of our encounter. He told us there could have been a conflict with oakland traffic, if any were present (there was not...plus, WX/visibility was unlimited). Finally, he suggested that next time, if we needed to escape the preceding aircraft's wake, that we turn right. (Toward the vortex, wake and even the other vortex of that aircraft.) corrective actions: ensure controllers are briefed in the hazards of wake turbulence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLC INITIATES EVASIVE WAKE TURB TURN FROM PREVIOUSLY DEPARTING B757 FROM SFO ONLY TO BE CHIDED BY O90 CTLR.

Narrative: WE (ACFT X) WERE DEPARTING RWY 1L AT SFO, ON A SFO-8 DEP, WHICH REQUIRES A R TURN TO 030 DEG HDG, AWAITING VECTORS ON COURSE. WE DEPARTED FOLLOWING A B757 (ACFT Y) WHICH HAD TAKEN OFF FROM RWY 1R AND WAS ABOUT 4 MI UPWIND WHEN WE BEGAN OUR TKOF ROLL. AFTER AIRBORNE, WE BEGAN A 15 - 20 DEGS, ANGLE OF BANK TURN TOWARDS A 030 DEG HDG. AT ABOUT A HDG OF 020 DEG, WE BEGAN TO FEEL THE FIRST NIBBLE OF WAKE TURB, AND I TOLD THE CAPT THAT I WOULD STOP MY TURN THERE (020 DEG HDG) INSTEAD OF CONTINUING FURTHER INTO THE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ZONE OF WAKE TURB WHICH WAS TOWARDS OUR R. AFTER ONLY SEVERAL SECONDS OF A ONCE AGAIN SMOOTH RIDE, WE AGAIN ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURB, THIS TIME MUCH MORE SEVERE THAN THE FIRST. COUNTERING THE ROLL INDUCED BY THE B757'S WINGTIP VORTEX REQUIRED CLOSE TO 90 DEGS OF YOKE DEFLECTION. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO TRY TO CLB ABOVE THE PRECEDING ACFT'S FLT PATH AND TURN BACK FARTHER L (KNOWING THAT WINGTIP VORTICES FLOW AFT, OUT AND BELOW THE GENERATING ACFT'S WINGS). ALREADY AT OUR PROFILE CLBOUT SPD (V2 + 20) I WAS UNABLE TO ESCAPE THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SIT VERTICALLY (AND THE WATER WAS LESS THAN 1000 FT BELOW ME) SO A SLIGHT TURN TO 10 DEGS REMEDIED THE PROB. MY CAPT THEN MADE A COURTESY CALL TO BAY APCH TO INFORM THEM THAT WE HAD ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURB AND, AS A RESULT, HAD TO ROLL OUT ON A HDG OF 010 DEGS. ALTHOUGH I AM POSITIVE THAT THE CTLR WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DETECT VIA HIS RADAR THAT OUR FLT PATH WAS DEVIATING FROM 'NORMAL' AT THIS TIME, ONCE HE WAS INFORMED OF OUR DEV BY MY CAPT, HE INCREDIBLY GAVE US A HARD TIME FOR DEVIATING FROM OUR ASSIGNED DEP. IN FACT, HE TOLD US THAT IN THE FUTURE WE SHOULD ASK FOR AND RECEIVE CLRNC FROM ATC PRIOR TO PERFORMING ANY WAKE TURB AVOIDANCE/RECOVERY MANEUVER. THE CTLR CONTINUED TO BERATE US, DESPITE OUR ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN THE SEVERITY OF OUR ENCOUNTER. HE TOLD US THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A CONFLICT WITH OAKLAND TFC, IF ANY WERE PRESENT (THERE WAS NOT...PLUS, WX/VISIBILITY WAS UNLIMITED). FINALLY, HE SUGGESTED THAT NEXT TIME, IF WE NEEDED TO ESCAPE THE PRECEDING ACFT'S WAKE, THAT WE TURN R. (TOWARD THE VORTEX, WAKE AND EVEN THE OTHER VORTEX OF THAT ACFT.) CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: ENSURE CTLRS ARE BRIEFED IN THE HAZARDS OF WAKE TURB.

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.