Aircraft unable to maintain cruise speed at level off.

Attributes
ACN	325382
Time
Date	199512
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sgf
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc tower : iah
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 210
ASRS Report	325382
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	324572
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Climbing to our cruise altitude of FL350, the airspeed of our aircraft would not accelerate. We requested a lower altitude from ZKC which was not available. Our airspeed at FL350 was continuing to decrease so we requested an immediate descent, explaining our situation to the controller. He replied he was going to have to declare an emergency due to conflicting traffic at FL330. The conflicting traffic was issued clearance to FL290 and we were cleared to FL330. No further comment was made and we later received the normal sector frequency change, and thanked him for his assistance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CRUISE SPD AT LEVEL OFF.

Narrative: CLBING TO OUR CRUISE ALT OF FL350, THE AIRSPD OF OUR ACFT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. WE REQUESTED A LOWER ALT FROM ZKC WHICH WAS NOT AVAILABLE. OUR AIRSPD AT FL350 WAS CONTINUING TO DECREASE SO WE REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT, EXPLAINING OUR SIT TO THE CTLR. HE REPLIED HE WAS GOING TO HAVE TO DECLARE AN EMER DUE TO CONFLICTING TFC AT FL330. THE CONFLICTING TFC WAS ISSUED CLRNC TO FL290 AND WE WERE CLRED TO FL330. NO FURTHER COMMENT WAS MADE AND WE LATER RECEIVED THE NORMAL SECTOR FREQ CHANGE, AND THANKED HIM FOR HIS ASSISTANCE.

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.