A CL65 flight loses airspeed and stalls at FL370, losing 500 ft in the process on frequency with ZKC...

Attributes
ACN	526965
Time
Date	200110
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zkc.artcc
State Reference	KS
Altitude	msl bound lower : 36500 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Windshear
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc.artcc tower : slc.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	526965
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 138 flight time total : 2400 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	526853
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter other non adherence : clearance other anomaly other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While cruising at FL370 wind shifted and dropped off quickly! Airspeed dropped. Aircraft stalled and aprox 500 ft of altitude was lost, we called ZKC for clearance to lower altitude while it was happening (the altitude loss). Controller came back and cleared us to FL330. Supervisor came on a few mins later advising us to not descend before clearance is given. We acknowledged this and reported we were descending (deliberately). We should have declared an emergency instead of requesting lower, this would have seem more prudent in hindsight if traffic had been below us. There was no traffic below us luckily! We apologized to controller, no further action! I think we hit either a wave or standing lenticular which was not visible at night. Supplemental information from acn 526853: a supervisor came on and asked if we had an emergency, we said, that the aircraft was unable to operate at that altitude with that type of wind shift. We made no further attempt to explain the situation to the controller.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CL65 FLT LOSES AIRSPEED AND STALLS AT FL370, LOSING 500 FT IN THE PROCESS ON FREQ WITH ZKC.

Narrative: WHILE CRUISING AT FL370 WIND SHIFTED AND DROPPED OFF QUICKLY! AIRSPEED DROPPED. ACFT STALLED AND APROX 500 FT OF ALT WAS LOST, WE CALLED ZKC FOR CLRNC TO LOWER ALT WHILE IT WAS HAPPENING (THE ALT LOSS). CTLR CAME BACK AND CLRED US TO FL330. SUPVR CAME ON A FEW MINS LATER ADVISING US TO NOT DESCEND BEFORE CLRNC IS GIVEN. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THIS AND RPTED WE WERE DESCENDING (DELIBERATELY). WE SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER INSTEAD OF REQUESTING LOWER, THIS WOULD HAVE SEEM MORE PRUDENT IN HINDSIGHT IF TFC HAD BEEN BELOW US. THERE WAS NO TFC BELOW US LUCKILY! WE APOLOGIZED TO CTLR, NO FURTHER ACTION! I THINK WE HIT EITHER A WAVE OR STANDING LENTICULAR WHICH WAS NOT VISIBLE AT NIGHT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 526853: A SUPVR CAME ON AND ASKED IF WE HAD AN EMER, WE SAID, THAT THE ACFT WAS UNABLE TO OPERATE AT THAT ALT WITH THAT TYPE OF WIND SHIFT. WE MADE NO FURTHER ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN THE SIT TO THE CTLR.

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.