Flight crew lost 1000 ft in severe windshear turbulence.

Attributes
ACN	321078
Time
Date	199511
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dca
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	321078
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather other anomaly
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : regained aircraft control
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Encountered severe turbulence and 80 KT windshear (plus 80 KTS) on downwind at dca at 5000 ft. Caused altitude deviation of approximately 1000 ft, aircraft basically uncontrollable. Contacted approach and were told to do 'whatever we needed to do,' rapidly moving cold front moving through area at this time but no warnings for turbulence. Airport closed shortly afterward for windshear and turbulence. Better WX information would have possibly prevented this from occurring.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC LOST 1000 FT IN SEVERE WINDSHEAR TURB.

Narrative: ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB AND 80 KT WINDSHEAR (PLUS 80 KTS) ON DOWNWIND AT DCA AT 5000 FT. CAUSED ALTDEV OF APPROX 1000 FT, ACFT BASICALLY UNCONTROLLABLE. CONTACTED APCH AND WERE TOLD TO DO 'WHATEVER WE NEEDED TO DO,' RAPIDLY MOVING COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH AREA AT THIS TIME BUT NO WARNINGS FOR TURB. ARPT CLOSED SHORTLY AFTERWARD FOR WINDSHEAR AND TURB. BETTER WX INFO WOULD HAVE POSSIBLY PREVENTED THIS FROM OCCURRING.

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.