MD80 flight crew encounters turbulence in rvsm airspace and aircraft loses altitude.

Attributes
ACN	713946
Time
Date	200610
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zjx.artcc
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 31000
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjx.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	713946
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Environmental Factor Weather
Primary Problem	Environmental Factor

Narrative:

Just west of mei at FL310 in IMC; the aircraft encountered light turbulence and the autoplt disengaged. The aircraft rolled about 20 degrees left and the autothrottles reduced power. The captain manually took control to the aircraft; rolled wings level and re-trimmed the aircraft for level flight. The aircraft lost a few hundred ft during this process. The autoplt was re-engaged with no further anomalies.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERS TURB IN RVSM AIRSPACE AND ACFT LOSES ALT.

Narrative: JUST W OF MEI AT FL310 IN IMC; THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED LIGHT TURB AND THE AUTOPLT DISENGAGED. THE ACFT ROLLED ABOUT 20 DEGS L AND THE AUTOTHROTTLES REDUCED PWR. THE CAPT MANUALLY TOOK CTL TO THE ACFT; ROLLED WINGS LEVEL AND RE-TRIMMED THE ACFT FOR LEVEL FLT. THE ACFT LOST A FEW HUNDRED FT DURING THIS PROCESS. THE AUTOPLT WAS RE-ENGAGED WITH NO FURTHER ANOMALIES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.