A319 flight crew encounters severe turbulence en route and declared an emergency.

Attributes
ACN	574992
Time
Date	200302
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : pruit
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 32500 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc tower : bwi.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute airway : a523.airway
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 185 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 640
ASRS Report	574992
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : turbulence other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

We were cruising at FL370 in rvsm airspace on a scheduled passenger flight from ZZZ to barbados. En route, we encountered continuous moderate/occasional severe turbulence. We called new york oceanic control on HF radio to request a lower altitude. They said they were unable to grant our request due to traffic conflicts. We then declared an emergency with new york oceanic, turned right 90 degrees off course and started a descent. We also broadcast on VHF emergency frequency 121.5 our intentions. We leveled at FL325 and were approximately 15 mi right of course when new york oceanic SELCAL'ed our aircraft. They then cleared us to FL330 and a return to A523 on course. No conflicts ensued.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERS SEVERE TURB ENRTE AND DECLARED AN EMER.

Narrative: WE WERE CRUISING AT FL370 IN RVSM AIRSPACE ON A SCHEDULED PAX FLT FROM ZZZ TO BARBADOS. ENRTE, WE ENCOUNTERED CONTINUOUS MODERATE/OCCASIONAL SEVERE TURB. WE CALLED NEW YORK OCEANIC CTL ON HF RADIO TO REQUEST A LOWER ALT. THEY SAID THEY WERE UNABLE TO GRANT OUR REQUEST DUE TO TFC CONFLICTS. WE THEN DECLARED AN EMER WITH NEW YORK OCEANIC, TURNED R 90 DEGS OFF COURSE AND STARTED A DSCNT. WE ALSO BROADCAST ON VHF EMER FREQ 121.5 OUR INTENTIONS. WE LEVELED AT FL325 AND WERE APPROX 15 MI R OF COURSE WHEN NEW YORK OCEANIC SELCAL'ED OUR ACFT. THEY THEN CLRED US TO FL330 AND A RETURN TO A523 ON COURSE. NO CONFLICTS ENSUED.

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.