Narrative:

I was flying my baron 55C on an IFR flight plan from sba to lax. I had filed the flight plan before the flight, rather than use a tower en route clearance, because the FSS specialist had said it's better for the controller system. It was visual dusk/evening trip, less than 1/2 hour from sba. When downwind, the approach controller told me which runway to expect. The next controller waited until I had a B737 in sight and said follow him and cleared to land, caution wake turbulence. On base, I hit the wake turbulence of an airplane (the B737?). It was the most violent experience I have had, including aerobatic classes yrs ago. It was like hitting a solid wall, and the airplane had the wing in a near vertical position. I slammed into the roof of my airplane, all papers and diet coke went everywhere. I was a little dazed from the impact to the roof by my head. Then I had a second smaller, but violent impact with a pocket of wake turbulence. My only thought was to get the airplane safely on the ground, and I hoped everything was still working (I knew my landing gear was already down). I must have been so out of it and shaken, that I had kept the microphone open as the tower came on and said I had a stuck microphone for the last mi. I don't remember what he said after this, but just focused on landing on the runway in front of me, given my low altitude and everything hanging out (flaps and gear). I said a little thank you to god for the safe landing, and the fog was lifting from my brain. The tower told me to copy down a number, and I was escorted by police, lights flashing, to FBO. I really didn't need any more stress, but I guess that is their job. I shut the engines down, shaking like a leaf, got out of the airplane, and went to the police escort, who asked me to be sure and call the controller. I did this, and to be honest, I don't even remember the conversation, as I was still shaking. It took me many times to dial the phone, because my hands were not very steady. He finally said he could hear I was very upset, and let me off the phone. I tried to be coherent, but I just couldn't get my brain to understand his questions. I came back a couple hours later, did a very long preflight, and everything seemed to be ok, and I received a clearance, took off, and flew back to sba. Please understand that I have flown into lax many times over the yrs, and this was a VFR night, and very little traffic compared to previous flts into the airport. It could not have been easier, and everything was very routine until I hit the wall of turbulence. I thought I was coming in high enough to avoid any problem from the B737, but I hit it or another airplane's severe wake turbulence. I have experienced a little before over the yrs, but this was incredible. Even with my seatbelt very tight (I always do this when landing at a larger airport), it was like I had no seatbelt on at all when I hit the ceiling. Later, I felt a good sized bump, but no blood on my head. I don't know how I could have prevented this problem other than a long final approach, rather than what I flew, so any turbulence from the B737 or other airplanes would be gone.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE55 LNDG LAX ENCOUNTERS WAKE TURB FROM B737.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING MY BARON 55C ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM SBA TO LAX. I HAD FILED THE FLT PLAN BEFORE THE FLT, RATHER THAN USE A TWR ENRTE CLRNC, BECAUSE THE FSS SPECIALIST HAD SAID IT'S BETTER FOR THE CTLR SYS. IT WAS VISUAL DUSK/EVENING TRIP, LESS THAN 1/2 HR FROM SBA. WHEN DOWNWIND, THE APCH CTLR TOLD ME WHICH RWY TO EXPECT. THE NEXT CTLR WAITED UNTIL I HAD A B737 IN SIGHT AND SAID FOLLOW HIM AND CLRED TO LAND, CAUTION WAKE TURB. ON BASE, I HIT THE WAKE TURB OF AN AIRPLANE (THE B737?). IT WAS THE MOST VIOLENT EXPERIENCE I HAVE HAD, INCLUDING AEROBATIC CLASSES YRS AGO. IT WAS LIKE HITTING A SOLID WALL, AND THE AIRPLANE HAD THE WING IN A NEAR VERT POS. I SLAMMED INTO THE ROOF OF MY AIRPLANE, ALL PAPERS AND DIET COKE WENT EVERYWHERE. I WAS A LITTLE DAZED FROM THE IMPACT TO THE ROOF BY MY HEAD. THEN I HAD A SECOND SMALLER, BUT VIOLENT IMPACT WITH A POCKET OF WAKE TURB. MY ONLY THOUGHT WAS TO GET THE AIRPLANE SAFELY ON THE GND, AND I HOPED EVERYTHING WAS STILL WORKING (I KNEW MY LNDG GEAR WAS ALREADY DOWN). I MUST HAVE BEEN SO OUT OF IT AND SHAKEN, THAT I HAD KEPT THE MIKE OPEN AS THE TWR CAME ON AND SAID I HAD A STUCK MIKE FOR THE LAST MI. I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT HE SAID AFTER THIS, BUT JUST FOCUSED ON LNDG ON THE RWY IN FRONT OF ME, GIVEN MY LOW ALT AND EVERYTHING HANGING OUT (FLAPS AND GEAR). I SAID A LITTLE THANK YOU TO GOD FOR THE SAFE LNDG, AND THE FOG WAS LIFTING FROM MY BRAIN. THE TWR TOLD ME TO COPY DOWN A NUMBER, AND I WAS ESCORTED BY POLICE, LIGHTS FLASHING, TO FBO. I REALLY DIDN'T NEED ANY MORE STRESS, BUT I GUESS THAT IS THEIR JOB. I SHUT THE ENGS DOWN, SHAKING LIKE A LEAF, GOT OUT OF THE AIRPLANE, AND WENT TO THE POLICE ESCORT, WHO ASKED ME TO BE SURE AND CALL THE CTLR. I DID THIS, AND TO BE HONEST, I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER THE CONVERSATION, AS I WAS STILL SHAKING. IT TOOK ME MANY TIMES TO DIAL THE PHONE, BECAUSE MY HANDS WERE NOT VERY STEADY. HE FINALLY SAID HE COULD HEAR I WAS VERY UPSET, AND LET ME OFF THE PHONE. I TRIED TO BE COHERENT, BUT I JUST COULDN'T GET MY BRAIN TO UNDERSTAND HIS QUESTIONS. I CAME BACK A COUPLE HRS LATER, DID A VERY LONG PREFLT, AND EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE OK, AND I RECEIVED A CLRNC, TOOK OFF, AND FLEW BACK TO SBA. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE FLOWN INTO LAX MANY TIMES OVER THE YRS, AND THIS WAS A VFR NIGHT, AND VERY LITTLE TFC COMPARED TO PREVIOUS FLTS INTO THE ARPT. IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN EASIER, AND EVERYTHING WAS VERY ROUTINE UNTIL I HIT THE WALL OF TURB. I THOUGHT I WAS COMING IN HIGH ENOUGH TO AVOID ANY PROB FROM THE B737, BUT I HIT IT OR ANOTHER AIRPLANE'S SEVERE WAKE TURB. I HAVE EXPERIENCED A LITTLE BEFORE OVER THE YRS, BUT THIS WAS INCREDIBLE. EVEN WITH MY SEATBELT VERY TIGHT (I ALWAYS DO THIS WHEN LNDG AT A LARGER ARPT), IT WAS LIKE I HAD NO SEATBELT ON AT ALL WHEN I HIT THE CEILING. LATER, I FELT A GOOD SIZED BUMP, BUT NO BLOOD ON MY HEAD. I DON'T KNOW HOW I COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS PROB OTHER THAN A LONG FINAL APCH, RATHER THAN WHAT I FLEW, SO ANY TURB FROM THE B737 OR OTHER AIRPLANES WOULD BE GONE.

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.