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MD80 flight crew reports continuous moderate turbulence for several minutes while flying through gap in line of thunderstorms at FL340.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 782365 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200804 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dfw.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl single value : 34000 |
| Environment | |
| Weather Elements | Rain Turbulence Thunderstorm Ice |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zfw.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 782365 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
Within mins after takeoff; rerted due to thunderstorm activity along filed route. Newly assigned route: pnh J17 tbe.... Line of thunderstorms across the texas panhandle was the issue. Center again rerted us: abi fst tcs.... This rerte added hundreds of mi to our flight plan and was not feasible. On a westerly heading; the first officer and I observed on WX radar a break in the line of thunderstorms that would allow us to turn north and head towards lbb. We got the clearance to do this and proceeded towards the gap. I sat the flight attendants down realizing that the ride would be bumpy. We stayed clear of the cells but as we crossed the line we experienced continuous moderate turbulence for 5-8 mins. We were at FL340 with engine and wing heat on and were holding .75 mach. During the turbulence encounter; mach number was varying greatly (mach .69 to mach 79.). We received clearance to descend to FL320 and then down to FL300 where we were finally able to stabilize the airspeed. We cleared the line and had a fairly smooth ride the rest of the way. This is a scenario I will not get myself into again. A better course of action would have been to turn around and go back.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MD80 FLT CREW REPORTS CONTINUOUS MODERATE TURBULENCE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES WHILE FLYING THROUGH GAP IN LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS AT FL340.
Narrative: WITHIN MINS AFTER TKOF; RERTED DUE TO TSTM ACTIVITY ALONG FILED RTE. NEWLY ASSIGNED RTE: PNH J17 TBE.... LINE OF TSTMS ACROSS THE TEXAS PANHANDLE WAS THE ISSUE. CTR AGAIN RERTED US: ABI FST TCS.... THIS RERTE ADDED HUNDREDS OF MI TO OUR FLT PLAN AND WAS NOT FEASIBLE. ON A WESTERLY HDG; THE FO AND I OBSERVED ON WX RADAR A BREAK IN THE LINE OF TSTMS THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO TURN N AND HEAD TOWARDS LBB. WE GOT THE CLRNC TO DO THIS AND PROCEEDED TOWARDS THE GAP. I SAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS DOWN REALIZING THAT THE RIDE WOULD BE BUMPY. WE STAYED CLR OF THE CELLS BUT AS WE CROSSED THE LINE WE EXPERIENCED CONTINUOUS MODERATE TURB FOR 5-8 MINS. WE WERE AT FL340 WITH ENG AND WING HEAT ON AND WERE HOLDING .75 MACH. DURING THE TURB ENCOUNTER; MACH NUMBER WAS VARYING GREATLY (MACH .69 TO MACH 79.). WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO DSND TO FL320 AND THEN DOWN TO FL300 WHERE WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO STABILIZE THE AIRSPD. WE CLRED THE LINE AND HAD A FAIRLY SMOOTH RIDE THE REST OF THE WAY. THIS IS A SCENARIO I WILL NOT GET MYSELF INTO AGAIN. A BETTER COURSE OF ACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO TURN AROUND AND GO BACK.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.