A C551 crew used pilot's emergency authority/authorized to avoid severe turbulence.

Attributes
ACN	527505
Time
Date	200110
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : llo.vortac
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 28000 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm Turbulence
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu.artcc
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Citation II/SP
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Route In Use	arrival star : ns enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	527500
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter other other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

We were at FL310 skirting thunderstorms on a cold front and above the thunderstorms. Center advised us to descend to FL280 and we advised that we were unable to descend due to convective activity it would put us in below. They persisted and I advised we could deviate to the northwest but could not descend. They advised that there was no WX indicated to the northwest and that we could deviate northwest but we would have to descend now! Since we also did not indicate WX to the northwest, we turned and descended to FL280. We immediately entered severe turbulence and with the aircraft out of control, we advised center that we were experiencing severe turbulence and were making an emergency climb back to FL310. Once at FL310, we were clear of the turbulence and gathered our composure and passenger condition and reported no injuries or known damage. We have had an inspection at cessna for possible severe turbulence damage. No report was requested by ATC.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C551 CREW USED PLT'S EMER AUTH TO AVOID SEVERE TURB.

Narrative: WE WERE AT FL310 SKIRTING TSTMS ON A COLD FRONT AND ABOVE THE TSTMS. CTR ADVISED US TO DSND TO FL280 AND WE ADVISED THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO DSND DUE TO CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY IT WOULD PUT US IN BELOW. THEY PERSISTED AND I ADVISED WE COULD DEVIATE TO THE NW BUT COULD NOT DSND. THEY ADVISED THAT THERE WAS NO WX INDICATED TO THE NW AND THAT WE COULD DEVIATE NW BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO DSND NOW! SINCE WE ALSO DID NOT INDICATE WX TO THE NW, WE TURNED AND DSNDED TO FL280. WE IMMEDIATELY ENTERED SEVERE TURB AND WITH THE ACFT OUT OF CTL, WE ADVISED CTR THAT WE WERE EXPERIENCING SEVERE TURB AND WERE MAKING AN EMER CLB BACK TO FL310. ONCE AT FL310, WE WERE CLR OF THE TURB AND GATHERED OUR COMPOSURE AND PAX CONDITION AND RPTED NO INJURIES OR KNOWN DAMAGE. WE HAVE HAD AN INSPECTION AT CESSNA FOR POSSIBLE SEVERE TURB DAMAGE. NO RPT WAS REQUESTED BY ATC.

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.