PC-24
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Inflight Event / Encounter Wake Vortex Encounter
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure
On the arrival into SNA we encountered three bouts of wake turbulence. Two of them were severe; one was moderate. I was Pilot Flying. During the first encounter; we were at about 16;000 feet MSL. Winds aloft were from behind us at about 12 knots. A  B737 was about 8 miles in front of us. Our aircraft banked rapidly and steeply; but the autopilot stayed on and corrected. We notified ATC of a wake turbulence event; and they said we could slow down. The second encounter happened shortly after the first; and was at least as severe. I did not take note of the bank angle. I disconnected the autopilot to maintain control of the aircraft. We were close to a crossing restriction; so I hand flew until after that crossing; at which point I turned the autopilot back on. ATC slowed us and gave us vectors off course. Eventually; they vectored us behind the B737 again and we encountered the wake yet again; but the roll was more moderate in nature. I hand flew the visual approach after that point; staying slightly upwind of the localizer and above the glideslope. Upon landing; we had a white Aircraft Exceedance CAS message. I called Maintenance and sent the aircraft  files.
PC-24 Captain reported multiple wake turbulence encounters on descent into SNA in trail of a B737.