Narrative:

A possible traffic conflict occurred when the right engine on a DA20 stalled at FL370. The event started while at FL330 ZAB requested that we descend to FL290 for traffic. The captain requested and received FL370 with a time restr for FL370. After passing FL360 center gave us a heading change from 100 degrees to 180 degrees. Halfway through the turn and just prior to reaching FL370 the right engine stalled. We notified center that we needed to descend back to FL330. Center said they were declaring an emergency to which we replied negative that we were not declaring an emergency. Center said that they were required to declare an emergency. After being cleared to FL330 we commenced our descent and the compressor stall ceased. The flight was continued at FL330 without further incident. Company policy is that none of the DA20's are to be flown above FL350 even though the manufacturer has certified the plane for 42000 ft because of problems with engine flameouts above FL350. The captain's feeling when requesting FL370 was that the plane was relatively light and the light weight would allow us to easily climb to FL370. Company policies are written in order to prevent the reoccurrence of problems such as the one described. We should have complied with the company's policy. Supplemental information from acn 351246: I had the copilot inform ATC that we couldn't make it to FL370 and had to go back to FL330, now! He said that we had converging traffic and that he was declaring an emergency for us. He told us to descend to FL330 as soon as possible. I did so in about 10 seconds. We leveled off and turned back to 120 degree heading at FL330. We told ATC we didn't have an emergency and fortunately we didn't come close enough to our traffic to generate an ATC report (alert). I think there were 3 things that caused this to occur. First, is the controller's indecisiveness. It took him several mins to decide to give us the climb to FL370. Second, was my acceptance of a clearance that I wasn't 100 percent positive I could make because of the third reason. Which is 25 yr old airplanes may have freshly overhauled engines, but the compressors are still 25 (or so) yrs old, and tired!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DA20 FREIGHTER MADE UNCOORD DSCNT THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT WHEN 1 ENG HAD A COMPRESSOR STALL.

Narrative: A POSSIBLE TFC CONFLICT OCCURRED WHEN THE R ENG ON A DA20 STALLED AT FL370. THE EVENT STARTED WHILE AT FL330 ZAB REQUESTED THAT WE DSND TO FL290 FOR TFC. THE CAPT REQUESTED AND RECEIVED FL370 WITH A TIME RESTR FOR FL370. AFTER PASSING FL360 CTR GAVE US A HDG CHANGE FROM 100 DEGS TO 180 DEGS. HALFWAY THROUGH THE TURN AND JUST PRIOR TO REACHING FL370 THE R ENG STALLED. WE NOTIFIED CTR THAT WE NEEDED TO DSND BACK TO FL330. CTR SAID THEY WERE DECLARING AN EMER TO WHICH WE REPLIED NEGATIVE THAT WE WERE NOT DECLARING AN EMER. CTR SAID THAT THEY WERE REQUIRED TO DECLARE AN EMER. AFTER BEING CLRED TO FL330 WE COMMENCED OUR DSCNT AND THE COMPRESSOR STALL CEASED. THE FLT WAS CONTINUED AT FL330 WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. COMPANY POLICY IS THAT NONE OF THE DA20'S ARE TO BE FLOWN ABOVE FL350 EVEN THOUGH THE MANUFACTURER HAS CERTIFIED THE PLANE FOR 42000 FT BECAUSE OF PROBS WITH ENG FLAMEOUTS ABOVE FL350. THE CAPT'S FEELING WHEN REQUESTING FL370 WAS THAT THE PLANE WAS RELATIVELY LIGHT AND THE LIGHT WT WOULD ALLOW US TO EASILY CLB TO FL370. COMPANY POLICIES ARE WRITTEN IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE REOCCURRENCE OF PROBS SUCH AS THE ONE DESCRIBED. WE SHOULD HAVE COMPLIED WITH THE COMPANY'S POLICY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 351246: I HAD THE COPLT INFORM ATC THAT WE COULDN'T MAKE IT TO FL370 AND HAD TO GO BACK TO FL330, NOW! HE SAID THAT WE HAD CONVERGING TFC AND THAT HE WAS DECLARING AN EMER FOR US. HE TOLD US TO DSND TO FL330 ASAP. I DID SO IN ABOUT 10 SECONDS. WE LEVELED OFF AND TURNED BACK TO 120 DEG HDG AT FL330. WE TOLD ATC WE DIDN'T HAVE AN EMER AND FORTUNATELY WE DIDN'T COME CLOSE ENOUGH TO OUR TFC TO GENERATE AN ATC RPT (ALERT). I THINK THERE WERE 3 THINGS THAT CAUSED THIS TO OCCUR. FIRST, IS THE CTLR'S INDECISIVENESS. IT TOOK HIM SEVERAL MINS TO DECIDE TO GIVE US THE CLB TO FL370. SECOND, WAS MY ACCEPTANCE OF A CLRNC THAT I WASN'T 100 PERCENT POSITIVE I COULD MAKE BECAUSE OF THE THIRD REASON. WHICH IS 25 YR OLD AIRPLANES MAY HAVE FRESHLY OVERHAULED ENGS, BUT THE COMPRESSORS ARE STILL 25 (OR SO) YRS OLD, AND TIRED!

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.