Cessna Citation Mustang (C510)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150; Flight Crew Total 9500; Flight Crew Type 1200
Inflight Event / Encounter Wake Vortex Encounter
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure
Radar Vectored out of SLI for a Visual Approach to Runway 25L at LAX. TRACON descended us to 2;600 FT about 15 miles out. Advised we would follow an MD-80. We acquired the MD-80 and were cleared for a Visual Approach with us following the MD-80.  [The] MD-80 descending on the ILS 25L. Profile was higher. When cleared for the visual approach the Controller advised 'caution wake turbulence.' On the flight deck out loud I made a verbal call out to raise the 'Threat Level' as following an MD-80 or MD-11 tends to have bad wake turbulence. I zoomed out my Inset Map on my PFD to keep an eye on the distance of the MD-80 TCAS target. The pickle is; Final Controller who cleared us for the Visual Approach asked us to maintain at least 180 knots until 7 DME (LAX). At 180 knots; 2;600 FT; and 5-6 NM in trail of the MD-80 with the glideslope for the ILS alive and about to capture (we were going to fly the profile high using V/S mode) before we would of ever established on the glideslope; still in ALT hold mode; we hit the wake and the aircraft was tossed to the side. My hand [was] on the A/P (autopilot) DISC button; I immediately disconnected the A/P made the correction; held altitude; recovered and allowed the glideslope to fall to bottom of the scale; and then ran my planned high profile approach and landing. I monitored where the MD-80 touched down; and landed the Citation Mustang at the halfway point down the runway (RWY 25-L 10;000 FT long) aware that the common error pilots do in the final phases of a wake turbulence approach and landing is they RE-JOIN the glideslope. Not me; ran the final phase perfect. Point being; TRACON set me up for the encounter by having me at 2;600 FT with 180 knots until 7 DME. Whatever spacing they were trying to accomplish did not work. I noted winds at the field of 260/10 (directly down the runway).
CE-510 Captain reported encountering wake turbulence on approach to LAX in trail of an MD-80.