 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Air carrier freighter encountered severe downdraft at FL390. Descended to FL340. Controller issued new clearance to FL330.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 168284 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199101 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sat |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 34000 msl bound upper : 39000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zhu |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Heavy Transport, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 30 |
| ASRS Report | 168284 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
We were cruising at FL390 over tx with thunderstorms around the area. Our radar did not show any precipitation and we entered light rain and light turbulence, followed by a 30-40 KT gain in airspeed and loss of altitude at 4000 FPM. We were able to recover around 34000' and leveled off at FL330. The controller gave us clearance to proceed at 33000' and the flight resumed normally.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR FREIGHTER ENCOUNTERED SEVERE DOWNDRAFT AT FL390. DESCENDED TO FL340. CTLR ISSUED NEW CLRNC TO FL330.
Narrative: WE WERE CRUISING AT FL390 OVER TX WITH TSTMS AROUND THE AREA. OUR RADAR DID NOT SHOW ANY PRECIPITATION AND WE ENTERED LIGHT RAIN AND LIGHT TURB, FOLLOWED BY A 30-40 KT GAIN IN AIRSPD AND LOSS OF ALT AT 4000 FPM. WE WERE ABLE TO RECOVER AROUND 34000' AND LEVELED OFF AT FL330. THE CTLR GAVE US CLRNC TO PROCEED AT 33000' AND THE FLT RESUMED NORMALLY.
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.