Narrative:

Leveled at 6000 ft MSL per cle departure instructions. Informed of traffic by cle, overtaking from 7 O'clock and descending to 7000 ft MSL. Visually picked up the traffic, an air carrier MD80, and reported to cle. Cle instructed to maintain visual separation, no other instructions given. MD80 was observed to pass off my left wing and proceed ahead and parallel to my flight path. As the MD80 passed, I noted with fascination contrails being formed by both wings, approximately 1/2 way out from the fuselage. I figured these to have been produced by an approach flap setting. The MD80 proceeded about 6 NM ahead of my position and made a right turn (approximately north heading) and crossed my projected flight path. The MD80 then made a second right turn back towards cle (probably for the runway 5R/left approach to cle) and passed me on the right side of the aircraft. At this point, I was enjoying the view of this airliner as the sun reflected off its aluminum skin. I was not considering wake turbulence. Approximately 3 mins after the MD80 and I passed in opposite direction, my malibu flew into turbulence which could be best described as this: an invisible hand grabbing the aircraft and giving it 1 forceful, but not violent, shake in the vertical plane. Objects in the cabin were dislodged and I struck my head against the cabin ceiling. Yet, as soon as the encounter happened, it was over and the malibu was right back to flying smoothly and serenely. I have theorized that I had flown into wingtip vortices which had merged into 1 vortex in the wake of the MD80. This might account for the single 'shake' of turbulence. Furthermore, there was no noticeable rolling motion in the event, only a vertical displacement. I account this to the fact that I probably flew into the vortex at nearly a 90 degree angle. The initial sight of the trailing vortices and the crossing of my flight path should have alerted me to the potential for turbulence. I permitted myself to be less observant of the flight conditions while admiring the MD80. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this piper malibu pilot said that he is to blame because he knew about wake turbulence, but he just had never thought about the phenomenon in a cruise environment. There was, he said, ample evidence that a wake was being generated as the MD80, super 80, passed him, but he was simply watching the aircraft without realizing what was going to happen.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GA PLT WATCHES AN MD80, SUPER 80, PASS BY THEN TURN AND DSND ACROSS HIS PATH, AS IT SET UP FOR AN APCH TO CLE, THEN HIT ITS WAKE. THE PLT SAID THAT HE WAS NOT INJURED WHEN HE BUMPED HIS HEAD ON THE CEILING, BUT THE COCKPIT WAS A MESS WITH CHARTS AND EQUIP SCATTERED ABOUT. PA46. MD80, SUPER 80.

Narrative: LEVELED AT 6000 FT MSL PER CLE DEP INSTRUCTIONS. INFORMED OF TFC BY CLE, OVERTAKING FROM 7 O'CLOCK AND DSNDING TO 7000 FT MSL. VISUALLY PICKED UP THE TFC, AN ACR MD80, AND RPTED TO CLE. CLE INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION, NO OTHER INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN. MD80 WAS OBSERVED TO PASS OFF MY L WING AND PROCEED AHEAD AND PARALLEL TO MY FLT PATH. AS THE MD80 PASSED, I NOTED WITH FASCINATION CONTRAILS BEING FORMED BY BOTH WINGS, APPROX 1/2 WAY OUT FROM THE FUSELAGE. I FIGURED THESE TO HAVE BEEN PRODUCED BY AN APCH FLAP SETTING. THE MD80 PROCEEDED ABOUT 6 NM AHEAD OF MY POS AND MADE A R TURN (APPROX N HDG) AND CROSSED MY PROJECTED FLT PATH. THE MD80 THEN MADE A SECOND R TURN BACK TOWARDS CLE (PROBABLY FOR THE RWY 5R/L APCH TO CLE) AND PASSED ME ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. AT THIS POINT, I WAS ENJOYING THE VIEW OF THIS AIRLINER AS THE SUN REFLECTED OFF ITS ALUMINUM SKIN. I WAS NOT CONSIDERING WAKE TURB. APPROX 3 MINS AFTER THE MD80 AND I PASSED IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION, MY MALIBU FLEW INTO TURB WHICH COULD BE BEST DESCRIBED AS THIS: AN INVISIBLE HAND GRABBING THE ACFT AND GIVING IT 1 FORCEFUL, BUT NOT VIOLENT, SHAKE IN THE VERT PLANE. OBJECTS IN THE CABIN WERE DISLODGED AND I STRUCK MY HEAD AGAINST THE CABIN CEILING. YET, AS SOON AS THE ENCOUNTER HAPPENED, IT WAS OVER AND THE MALIBU WAS RIGHT BACK TO FLYING SMOOTHLY AND SERENELY. I HAVE THEORIZED THAT I HAD FLOWN INTO WINGTIP VORTICES WHICH HAD MERGED INTO 1 VORTEX IN THE WAKE OF THE MD80. THIS MIGHT ACCOUNT FOR THE SINGLE 'SHAKE' OF TURB. FURTHERMORE, THERE WAS NO NOTICEABLE ROLLING MOTION IN THE EVENT, ONLY A VERT DISPLACEMENT. I ACCOUNT THIS TO THE FACT THAT I PROBABLY FLEW INTO THE VORTEX AT NEARLY A 90 DEG ANGLE. THE INITIAL SIGHT OF THE TRAILING VORTICES AND THE XING OF MY FLT PATH SHOULD HAVE ALERTED ME TO THE POTENTIAL FOR TURB. I PERMITTED MYSELF TO BE LESS OBSERVANT OF THE FLT CONDITIONS WHILE ADMIRING THE MD80. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS PIPER MALIBU PLT SAID THAT HE IS TO BLAME BECAUSE HE KNEW ABOUT WAKE TURB, BUT HE JUST HAD NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THE PHENOMENON IN A CRUISE ENVIRONMENT. THERE WAS, HE SAID, AMPLE EVIDENCE THAT A WAKE WAS BEING GENERATED AS THE MD80, SUPER 80, PASSED HIM, BUT HE WAS SIMPLY WATCHING THE ACFT WITHOUT REALIZING WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.

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.