Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 80; Flight Crew Total 6000; Flight Crew Type 4000
Situational Awareness
Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Inflight Event / Encounter Wake Vortex Encounter
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control
Environment - Non Weather Related; Weather; Procedure
The severe wake turbulence took place on a flight which was operating under Part 91; at the time; to BFL. We had 5 passengers on board. The encounter took place between the HEC and PMD VORs. Sometime after our initial descent we were given ATC instructions to turn left 10 degrees for our descent. Shortly after that we were cleared to descend to FL300. We began a 1;000 FPM descent to FL300 and it was at that time I noticed a TCAS target at our altitude; but descending; at our 3 o'clock. I acquired the target visually and noted its size and assumed it was a B747. Its position was gradually moving from our 3 o'clock toward our 12 o'clock as it descended. I also noted that it was descending at about the same rate as we were. It stayed at 800-1;000 FT below us and 8-10 miles from us throughout our descent. I assumed that this was the traffic we were being vectored for and I anticipated a turn back on course (toward this aircraft's flight path) and further descent. I increased our descent rate to 1;500 FPM thinking that the sooner we reached FL300 the sooner we would be turned back on course. My thinking was that this would get us on the other side of the plane's wake sooner; allowing for a larger buffer between our plane and where I perceived the wake to be. It was at this time I noted that the winds aloft were from the northwest at around 40 KTS; moving the wake toward us.I commented to the co-pilot that this situation was making me a bit uneasy; but after a short discussion we both thought that the 8-10 miles between us and the large jet was adequate. It wasn't. Seconds later we encountered the wake. The plane instantly rolled 45-50 degrees to the right. I reacted by applying full power and pitching up to approximately 20 degrees to escape. Once things settled down we advised ATC of our altitude deviation and the cause. Strangely; the Controller seemed not to believe us at first. He advised us of the distance from us to the large jet; which turned out to be an A340; and stated that the plane was always at least 10 miles from us and 2;000-3;000 FT below us. According to our TCAS this was not true. After checking on the passengers I reported to ATC the scenario as we saw it and gave him a winds aloft reading. I think that one of the large contributing factors to us encountering the wake was the wind aloft. I don't think the Controller that directed us onto a heading downwind of the A340's wake had taken into consideration the winds aloft. On my part; I should have gone with my intuition and requested a vector and/or a descent or climb to avoid the wake. However; all of those requests would have been made on the assumption that we were being vectored in reference to the A340. ATC never mentioned the A340 until after we had encountered the wake.
A C560 Captain reported encountering very strong wake from an A340 at FL300 that resulted in a 45-50 deg roll.