Narrative:

Flying the marcs 7 arrival to sat on a clearance to fly direct cwk we encountered a brief period of severe turbulence. At FL240 and 300 KIAS; we were flying above a cloud layer and were maintaining an active radar watch in the WX/turbulence mode. In the dark; I saw a couple of cloud tops above the layer at about our altitude. We were not far above the layer; the ride was smooth; and the radar did not paint any precipitation or turbulence in our vicinity. The closest precipitation shown was about 40 NM ahead of us. I thought the tops were just ragged tops of the layer we were over. Since they were at our altitude I turned on the seatbelt sign as a precaution. About 30 seconds to a min later we hit tue turbulence. It was brief but violent. It felt as though the aircraft was strongly pushed from directly below; the flight instruments were not readable; and the autoplt disconnected uncommanded. The event lasted for possibly 5-15 seconds. The aircraft settled out about 100 ft low; left wing down about 15-20 degrees; nose down 2-3 degrees; autoplt off. I recovered the aircraft. Then the first officer reported the turbulence to ZHU. I had him get us a climb clearance and we climbed to FL260. As we were climbing I had the first officer call the flight attendants and inquire about any possible injuries. There were none. Once level; I spoke with the flight attendants and was again told there were no injuries. They further reported the cart was in the aisle at the time and was lifted off the deck by the turbulence and that some tomato juice on the cart was thrown onto the overhead. On arrival at sat I entered the severe turbulence into the maintenance log giving our altitude; airspeed; zero fuel weight; fuel aboard; estimated gross weight; and estimated duration of the event. I reported the event and the location of the turbulence to dispatch; and also informed maintenance of the severe turbulence maintenance entry.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW ON ARR INTO SAT EXPERIENCE A BRIEF ENCOUNTER WITH SEVERE TURB AT FL240.

Narrative: FLYING THE MARCS 7 ARR TO SAT ON A CLRNC TO FLY DIRECT CWK WE ENCOUNTERED A BRIEF PERIOD OF SEVERE TURB. AT FL240 AND 300 KIAS; WE WERE FLYING ABOVE A CLOUD LAYER AND WERE MAINTAINING AN ACTIVE RADAR WATCH IN THE WX/TURB MODE. IN THE DARK; I SAW A COUPLE OF CLOUD TOPS ABOVE THE LAYER AT ABOUT OUR ALT. WE WERE NOT FAR ABOVE THE LAYER; THE RIDE WAS SMOOTH; AND THE RADAR DID NOT PAINT ANY PRECIP OR TURB IN OUR VICINITY. THE CLOSEST PRECIP SHOWN WAS ABOUT 40 NM AHEAD OF US. I THOUGHT THE TOPS WERE JUST RAGGED TOPS OF THE LAYER WE WERE OVER. SINCE THEY WERE AT OUR ALT I TURNED ON THE SEATBELT SIGN AS A PRECAUTION. ABOUT 30 SECONDS TO A MIN LATER WE HIT TUE TURB. IT WAS BRIEF BUT VIOLENT. IT FELT AS THOUGH THE ACFT WAS STRONGLY PUSHED FROM DIRECTLY BELOW; THE FLT INSTS WERE NOT READABLE; AND THE AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED UNCOMMANDED. THE EVENT LASTED FOR POSSIBLY 5-15 SECONDS. THE ACFT SETTLED OUT ABOUT 100 FT LOW; L WING DOWN ABOUT 15-20 DEGS; NOSE DOWN 2-3 DEGS; AUTOPLT OFF. I RECOVERED THE ACFT. THEN THE FO RPTED THE TURB TO ZHU. I HAD HIM GET US A CLB CLRNC AND WE CLBED TO FL260. AS WE WERE CLBING I HAD THE FO CALL THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND INQUIRE ABOUT ANY POSSIBLE INJURIES. THERE WERE NONE. ONCE LEVEL; I SPOKE WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND WAS AGAIN TOLD THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THEY FURTHER RPTED THE CART WAS IN THE AISLE AT THE TIME AND WAS LIFTED OFF THE DECK BY THE TURB AND THAT SOME TOMATO JUICE ON THE CART WAS THROWN ONTO THE OVERHEAD. ON ARR AT SAT I ENTERED THE SEVERE TURB INTO THE MAINT LOG GIVING OUR ALT; AIRSPD; ZERO FUEL WT; FUEL ABOARD; ESTIMATED GROSS WT; AND ESTIMATED DURATION OF THE EVENT. I RPTED THE EVENT AND THE LOCATION OF THE TURB TO DISPATCH; AND ALSO INFORMED MAINT OF THE SEVERE TURB MAINT ENTRY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.