Narrative:

En route to aus from the east, there was a line of WX south of aus that extended east and west. We had extra fuel so we continued to fly west searching for a suitable break for penetration. We found a suitable place to penetrate. We then called the flight attendants and told them to terminate service, situation down, and strap in. A PA was also made to inform passenger. As expected, we encountered turbulence while penetrating the WX. To our surprise, we continued to experience moderate turbulence in the descent to aus in clear air. This turbulence continued through at least 10000 ft and 10 mins after penetrating the line of WX. We knew there was turbulence in the area, but did not realize its duration and magnitude. We made the assumption that we would only encounter significant turbulence for approximately 5-10 mins as we crossed the line. Had we known the turbulence was going to continue for so long we might have come up with a different plan of action to avoid exposing our passenger to this unpleasant experience. In hindsight I wish we had called our dispatcher and told him our plan. He might have known about the turbulence. I don't know if this turbulence had been reported to ATC, but I don't recall being told to expect moderate turbulence in the descent. I hope they would relay this information if they had it. Supplemental information from acn 472766: we flew 100 mi past our destination (aus) before we found a suitable gap in a line of WX over southeast texas. Problem: the moderate turbulence did not let up until 1500 ft AGL on final. The airplane was fine and no reports were received of passenger injuries. However, my mindset will always now be that turbulence will continue for a long time after penetrating the WX. I thought, and was predisposed to the idea, that I would break out into clear and smooth, but what I found was continuous moderate, light rain, occasional lightning flashes, etc. The moral of the story: WX is unpredictable!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CREW MADE THEIR BEST EFFORT TO AVOID WX AND TURB OVER TEXAS AND WERE SURPRISED BY TURB THAT THEY ENCOUNTERED AFTER LEAVING THE VISUAL WX AREA. NO INJURIES OR PROBS OCCURRED BECAUSE OF PRECAUTIONS TAKEN.

Narrative: ENRTE TO AUS FROM THE E, THERE WAS A LINE OF WX S OF AUS THAT EXTENDED E AND W. WE HAD EXTRA FUEL SO WE CONTINUED TO FLY W SEARCHING FOR A SUITABLE BREAK FOR PENETRATION. WE FOUND A SUITABLE PLACE TO PENETRATE. WE THEN CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND TOLD THEM TO TERMINATE SVC, SIT DOWN, AND STRAP IN. A PA WAS ALSO MADE TO INFORM PAX. AS EXPECTED, WE ENCOUNTERED TURB WHILE PENETRATING THE WX. TO OUR SURPRISE, WE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE MODERATE TURB IN THE DSCNT TO AUS IN CLR AIR. THIS TURB CONTINUED THROUGH AT LEAST 10000 FT AND 10 MINS AFTER PENETRATING THE LINE OF WX. WE KNEW THERE WAS TURB IN THE AREA, BUT DID NOT REALIZE ITS DURATION AND MAGNITUDE. WE MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT WE WOULD ONLY ENCOUNTER SIGNIFICANT TURB FOR APPROX 5-10 MINS AS WE CROSSED THE LINE. HAD WE KNOWN THE TURB WAS GOING TO CONTINUE FOR SO LONG WE MIGHT HAVE COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT PLAN OF ACTION TO AVOID EXPOSING OUR PAX TO THIS UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE. IN HINDSIGHT I WISH WE HAD CALLED OUR DISPATCHER AND TOLD HIM OUR PLAN. HE MIGHT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE TURB. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS TURB HAD BEEN RPTED TO ATC, BUT I DON'T RECALL BEING TOLD TO EXPECT MODERATE TURB IN THE DSCNT. I HOPE THEY WOULD RELAY THIS INFO IF THEY HAD IT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 472766: WE FLEW 100 MI PAST OUR DEST (AUS) BEFORE WE FOUND A SUITABLE GAP IN A LINE OF WX OVER SE TEXAS. PROB: THE MODERATE TURB DID NOT LET UP UNTIL 1500 FT AGL ON FINAL. THE AIRPLANE WAS FINE AND NO RPTS WERE RECEIVED OF PAX INJURIES. HOWEVER, MY MINDSET WILL ALWAYS NOW BE THAT TURB WILL CONTINUE FOR A LONG TIME AFTER PENETRATING THE WX. I THOUGHT, AND WAS PREDISPOSED TO THE IDEA, THAT I WOULD BREAK OUT INTO CLR AND SMOOTH, BUT WHAT I FOUND WAS CONTINUOUS MODERATE, LIGHT RAIN, OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING FLASHES, ETC. THE MORAL OF THE STORY: WX IS UNPREDICTABLE!

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.