Narrative:

While en route from san to sea at FL350, smooth air, clear skies, .76 mach, and seat belt sign off. At approximately 20 DME south of lmt VOR, we encountered clear air turbulence at XA00, instantly the aircraft pitched up and banked right sharply, gaining 150-200 ft, then down. I grabbed the controls, disengaged the autoplt, and maintained a level attitude, and the captain turned on the fasten seat belt sign. ATC was immediately advised of the turbulence and we requested a lower altitude. ATC then cleared our flight to descend and maintain FL310. I started a 500 FPM descent and disconnected the automatic throttles to prevent any power change. As we descended through FL345 all was smooth again. The captain called on the interphone to ask if anyone was hurt. The senior flight attendant said that everyone was a little shaken up, but all was ok. Upon leveling at FL310, we gave a detailed report to sea ARTCC as to the altitude, location, WX and then notified other company aircraft in the area as to the turbulence. All instruments and system were functioning normal so we continued on. Since no injuries were sustained, we continued on to sea. We were advised by the flight attendants that there was one woman who was having a possible panic attack, and that there was a doctor on board and they would keep us informed. The air was smooth, so I turned on the automatic throttles and reengaged the autoplt. The captain and I agreed to increase the speed as to arrive sooner, since the air was smooth. I increased the airspeed to .78 mach. The captain called the company to give an arrival time and asked the company to have the paramedics meet the airplane upon arrival and standing by in case of any emergency with the deplaning passenger. After a normal landing and taxiing to the gate, we opened the cockpit door and spoke with the senior flight attendant and he said all was ok, but the woman was still nervous. After the passenger deplaned, many thanked us for our efforts. I went back to see the female passenger after the paramedics came on board to tend to her. She was talking with the paramedics and all seemed to be under control. The captain and I left the airplane and spoke with the outbound crew. I turned in my paper work, and the captain said he would file a report with the company.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLR AIR TURB SEAT BELT SIGN OFF. NO PREVIOUS RPTS.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE FROM SAN TO SEA AT FL350, SMOOTH AIR, CLR SKIES, .76 MACH, AND SEAT BELT SIGN OFF. AT APPROX 20 DME S OF LMT VOR, WE ENCOUNTERED CLR AIR TURB AT XA00, INSTANTLY THE ACFT PITCHED UP AND BANKED R SHARPLY, GAINING 150-200 FT, THEN DOWN. I GRABBED THE CTLS, DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT, AND MAINTAINED A LEVEL ATTITUDE, AND THE CAPT TURNED ON THE FASTEN SEAT BELT SIGN. ATC WAS IMMEDIATELY ADVISED OF THE TURB AND WE REQUESTED A LOWER ALT. ATC THEN CLRED OUR FLT TO DSND AND MAINTAIN FL310. I STARTED A 500 FPM DSCNT AND DISCONNECTED THE AUTO THROTTLES TO PREVENT ANY PWR CHANGE. AS WE DSNDED THROUGH FL345 ALL WAS SMOOTH AGAIN. THE CAPT CALLED ON THE INTERPHONE TO ASK IF ANYONE WAS HURT. THE SENIOR FLT ATTENDANT SAID THAT EVERYONE WAS A LITTLE SHAKEN UP, BUT ALL WAS OK. UPON LEVELING AT FL310, WE GAVE A DETAILED RPT TO SEA ARTCC AS TO THE ALT, LOCATION, WX AND THEN NOTIFIED OTHER COMPANY ACFT IN THE AREA AS TO THE TURB. ALL INSTS AND SYS WERE FUNCTIONING NORMAL SO WE CONTINUED ON. SINCE NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED, WE CONTINUED ON TO SEA. WE WERE ADVISED BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT THERE WAS ONE WOMAN WHO WAS HAVING A POSSIBLE PANIC ATTACK, AND THAT THERE WAS A DOCTOR ON BOARD AND THEY WOULD KEEP US INFORMED. THE AIR WAS SMOOTH, SO I TURNED ON THE AUTO THROTTLES AND REENGAGED THE AUTOPLT. THE CAPT AND I AGREED TO INCREASE THE SPD AS TO ARRIVE SOONER, SINCE THE AIR WAS SMOOTH. I INCREASED THE AIRSPD TO .78 MACH. THE CAPT CALLED THE COMPANY TO GIVE AN ARR TIME AND ASKED THE COMPANY TO HAVE THE PARAMEDICS MEET THE AIRPLANE UPON ARR AND STANDING BY IN CASE OF ANY EMER WITH THE DEPLANING PAX. AFTER A NORMAL LNDG AND TAXIING TO THE GATE, WE OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR AND SPOKE WITH THE SENIOR FLT ATTENDANT AND HE SAID ALL WAS OK, BUT THE WOMAN WAS STILL NERVOUS. AFTER THE PAX DEPLANED, MANY THANKED US FOR OUR EFFORTS. I WENT BACK TO SEE THE FEMALE PAX AFTER THE PARAMEDICS CAME ON BOARD TO TEND TO HER. SHE WAS TALKING WITH THE PARAMEDICS AND ALL SEEMED TO BE UNDER CTL. THE CAPT AND I LEFT THE AIRPLANE AND SPOKE WITH THE OUTBOUND CREW. I TURNED IN MY PAPER WORK, AND THE CAPT SAID HE WOULD FILE A RPT WITH THE COMPANY.

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.