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.