A300 flight crew encounters turbulence and the aircraft enters stall buffet.

Attributes
ACN	584772
Time
Date	200306
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 32600 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Turbulence
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6800 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	584772
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : turbulence non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We were cruising at FL330 and entered a non convective air mass. The aircraft started to, what we thought, buffet. We called ZTL and immediately asked for lower. We were told to turn left 090 degree heading. Our aircraft was still buffeting and we were starting to turn as we started to lose altitude. Neither I nor the first officer wanted to pull back on the yoke with our aircraft shaking at our altitude. Went 300-400 ft low (FL326 instead of FL330). There was no conflict. To prevent this, our company is still investigating what caused the airframe buffet.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A300 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERS TURB AND THE ACFT ENTERS STALL BUFFET.

Narrative: WE WERE CRUISING AT FL330 AND ENTERED A NON CONVECTIVE AIR MASS. THE ACFT STARTED TO, WHAT WE THOUGHT, BUFFET. WE CALLED ZTL AND IMMEDIATELY ASKED FOR LOWER. WE WERE TOLD TO TURN L 090 DEG HDG. OUR ACFT WAS STILL BUFFETING AND WE WERE STARTING TO TURN AS WE STARTED TO LOSE ALT. NEITHER I NOR THE FO WANTED TO PULL BACK ON THE YOKE WITH OUR ACFT SHAKING AT OUR ALT. WENT 300-400 FT LOW (FL326 INSTEAD OF FL330). THERE WAS NO CONFLICT. TO PREVENT THIS, OUR COMPANY IS STILL INVESTIGATING WHAT CAUSED THE AIRFRAME BUFFET.

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.