EMB-505 Captain reported a possible wake turbulence encounter climbing through FL406 from a Gulfstream cruising at FL410.

Date: 2019-12 · Aircraft: EMB-505 / Phenom 300 · Phase: climb

Anomalies: Inflight event encounter wake vortex encounter

Synopsis

EMB-505 Captain reported a possible wake turbulence encounter climbing through FL406 from a Gulfstream cruising at FL410.

Narrative

During climb in smooth air to FL410 at approximately 40;600 the aircraft experienced a violent jolt and right turn with a bank of approximately 40 degrees. The autopilot remained engaged. After about 2 seconds the aircraft returned to the required wings level attitude. I reported severe turbulence to ATC and inquired about traffic in the area. ATC informed us that there was a Gulfstream at FL410 about 7 miles ahead of us. We were assigned FL390 and experienced a smooth flight thereafter. The post-flight inspection by the flight crew did not reveal any apparent damage to the aircraft. Maintenance Control was informed and a write-up in the Aircraft Discrepancy Log was created; reporting severe turbulence in-flight. The event has increased awareness of the potential for significant wake turbulence from aircraft such as the Gulfstream; a type aircraft that prior to this event was not seen as a serious threat by the crew.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.