Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Inflight Event / Encounter Wake Vortex Encounter
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control
Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure
While on approach into PBI; we were at 7000 FT MSL and given a clearance to cross GULLO at 3000 FT. As we started the descent; we hit turbulence; then rolled hard to the right. The autopilot disconnected. I took [the] controls and started to level the aircraft when a second wave hit us harder and pitched the plane down and rolled hard right to about 45-60 degrees wing down. I tried to level the aircraft but it wouldn't roll back level. I tried to climb above the wake turbulence. After using excessive control I got the plane to roll level and climbed back to 7000 FT from about 6600 FT. We lost about 400 feet during the encounter. We asked ATC and they said we were 7 miles behind a 737-800. We took a vector out of the turbulence area and returned to another attempt to the approach.
Descending on the WLACE4 arrival into PBI just about to GULLO we encountered severe wake turbulence from aircraft in front of us. This resulted in a 45-60 degree right roll and nose down pitch attitude. Pilot flying was fighting aircraft to return to level flight. Passengers were in seat belts and were ok but scared. After recovering to level flight after 300 FT altitude loss I queried ATC as to climb back up to 7000 FT and reported the wake turbulence. [Controller gave] us a spacing vector and continued on arrival to 10L. She said it was a 737-800 seven miles ahead. Landed safe and wrote up airplane to be inspected.
CE-560XLS flight crew reported encountering severe wake turbulence on arrival into PBI 7 miles in trail of a B737-800.