Narrative:

Flight path was crossing a cold front en route to ind. Typical spring WX with rapidly changing WX patterns. At FL310 radar was painting precipitation on 160 mi scale. Retuned when precipitation began painting on 80 NM scale. Returns were disappearing as we approached, even with continual antenna adjustments indicating the heavy precipitation was below our cruise altitude. As we approached to within 20 mi of WX, we could see ragged tops indicating potential turbulence. First officer was flying aircraft so I directed him to turn to avoid the ragged tops. Asked for and received clearance from center to deviation. First officer used shallow bank (10 degrees) to initiate turn and by the time I directed more bank to turn before the tops, we entered clouds and experienced moderate turbulence and strong updraft. Autoplt disengaged and first officer began forward push on controls. As altitude climbed, I assisted on controls to push over. We had climbed 800 ft before climb arrested and descent began. No conflicts with any aircraft. No other aircraft shown on 20 mi range of TCASII. No conflicts or deviation mentioned or noted by center. First officer had only approximately 110 hours in aircraft and was hesitant to use more force to control pitch due to his limited time on aircraft and his heavy experience on boeing aircraft where control response is more active. Incident could have been prevented by earlier recognition of potential WX conflict and deviating sooner. Turbulence was reported to center with location noted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLC HAS EXCURSION FROM ASSIGNED ALT WHEN ENCOUNTERING A LIFTING AIR MASS.

Narrative: FLT PATH WAS XING A COLD FRONT ENRTE TO IND. TYPICAL SPRING WX WITH RAPIDLY CHANGING WX PATTERNS. AT FL310 RADAR WAS PAINTING PRECIP ON 160 MI SCALE. RETUNED WHEN PRECIP BEGAN PAINTING ON 80 NM SCALE. RETURNS WERE DISAPPEARING AS WE APCHED, EVEN WITH CONTINUAL ANTENNA ADJUSTMENTS INDICATING THE HVY PRECIP WAS BELOW OUR CRUISE ALT. AS WE APCHED TO WITHIN 20 MI OF WX, WE COULD SEE RAGGED TOPS INDICATING POTENTIAL TURB. FO WAS FLYING ACFT SO I DIRECTED HIM TO TURN TO AVOID THE RAGGED TOPS. ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED CLRNC FROM CTR TO DEV. FO USED SHALLOW BANK (10 DEGS) TO INITIATE TURN AND BY THE TIME I DIRECTED MORE BANK TO TURN BEFORE THE TOPS, WE ENTERED CLOUDS AND EXPERIENCED MODERATE TURB AND STRONG UPDRAFT. AUTOPLT DISENGAGED AND FO BEGAN FORWARD PUSH ON CTLS. AS ALT CLBED, I ASSISTED ON CTLS TO PUSH OVER. WE HAD CLBED 800 FT BEFORE CLB ARRESTED AND DSCNT BEGAN. NO CONFLICTS WITH ANY ACFT. NO OTHER ACFT SHOWN ON 20 MI RANGE OF TCASII. NO CONFLICTS OR DEV MENTIONED OR NOTED BY CTR. FO HAD ONLY APPROX 110 HRS IN ACFT AND WAS HESITANT TO USE MORE FORCE TO CTL PITCH DUE TO HIS LIMITED TIME ON ACFT AND HIS HVY EXPERIENCE ON BOEING ACFT WHERE CTL RESPONSE IS MORE ACTIVE. INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY EARLIER RECOGNITION OF POTENTIAL WX CONFLICT AND DEVIATING SOONER. TURB WAS RPTED TO CTR WITH LOCATION NOTED.

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.