Narrative:

After reaching the initial cruise altitude of FL330 on a flight from sarasota, fl, to newark, nj, the captain requested a climb to FL370. The aircraft weight was at the maximum for the climb to FL370, but within the operating limits. We were cleared to climb to FL370 by ZJX and the captain began by commanding an initial climb rate of about 1500 FPM. At that time my attention was directed to the flight plan because I was looking for a 2 min error in the en route calculations. The captain began to eat his crew meal at about the same time. My attention was completely on the paperwork. After about 3-4 mins I noticed the aircraft was beginning to rock back and forth almost like a mild dutch roll. I looked at the airspeed and it indicated about 220 KTS and .66 mach and getting slower fairly rapidly. I directed the captain's attention to this, at which he quickly reduced the climb rate to about 500 FPM. The airspeed became even slower to about 205 KTS and the rocking more pronounced. He then leveled the aircraft at FL365, but it would not accelerate. The airspeed slowed even more, at which time the captain lowered the nose to gain airspeed. At about FL360 the controller asked if we had a problem, at which I stated we had to descend now. He gave us a turn of about 20-30 degrees to the left for traffic at FL350. When the captain made the turn the aircraft started to shudder and I believe that we were very close to a stall. We continued the descent to FL330 at which time the aircraft accelerated to normal speed and the performance also returned to normal. Supplemental information from acn 327457: as our attention during this time was directed toward maintaining aircraft control and accelerating the aircraft, we were not timely in advising center that we were no longer climbing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC HAS TO DSND TO ITS PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED ALT WHEN IT ALLOWS THE ACFT TO GET SO SLOW DURING ITS CLB TO FL370 THAT IT NEARLY STALLS.

Narrative: AFTER REACHING THE INITIAL CRUISE ALT OF FL330 ON A FLT FROM SARASOTA, FL, TO NEWARK, NJ, THE CAPT REQUESTED A CLB TO FL370. THE ACFT WT WAS AT THE MAX FOR THE CLB TO FL370, BUT WITHIN THE OPERATING LIMITS. WE WERE CLRED TO CLB TO FL370 BY ZJX AND THE CAPT BEGAN BY COMMANDING AN INITIAL CLB RATE OF ABOUT 1500 FPM. AT THAT TIME MY ATTN WAS DIRECTED TO THE FLT PLAN BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING FOR A 2 MIN ERROR IN THE ENRTE CALCULATIONS. THE CAPT BEGAN TO EAT HIS CREW MEAL AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME. MY ATTN WAS COMPLETELY ON THE PAPERWORK. AFTER ABOUT 3-4 MINS I NOTICED THE ACFT WAS BEGINNING TO ROCK BACK AND FORTH ALMOST LIKE A MILD DUTCH ROLL. I LOOKED AT THE AIRSPD AND IT INDICATED ABOUT 220 KTS AND .66 MACH AND GETTING SLOWER FAIRLY RAPIDLY. I DIRECTED THE CAPT'S ATTN TO THIS, AT WHICH HE QUICKLY REDUCED THE CLB RATE TO ABOUT 500 FPM. THE AIRSPD BECAME EVEN SLOWER TO ABOUT 205 KTS AND THE ROCKING MORE PRONOUNCED. HE THEN LEVELED THE ACFT AT FL365, BUT IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE AIRSPD SLOWED EVEN MORE, AT WHICH TIME THE CAPT LOWERED THE NOSE TO GAIN AIRSPD. AT ABOUT FL360 THE CTLR ASKED IF WE HAD A PROB, AT WHICH I STATED WE HAD TO DSND NOW. HE GAVE US A TURN OF ABOUT 20-30 DEGS TO THE L FOR TFC AT FL350. WHEN THE CAPT MADE THE TURN THE ACFT STARTED TO SHUDDER AND I BELIEVE THAT WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO A STALL. WE CONTINUED THE DSCNT TO FL330 AT WHICH TIME THE ACFT ACCELERATED TO NORMAL SPD AND THE PERFORMANCE ALSO RETURNED TO NORMAL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 327457: AS OUR ATTN DURING THIS TIME WAS DIRECTED TOWARD MAINTAINING ACFT CTL AND ACCELERATING THE ACFT, WE WERE NOT TIMELY IN ADVISING CTR THAT WE WERE NO LONGER CLBING.

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.