Narrative:

It was the captain's leg and we were level at FL370. While level; the speed bled down; the autoplt kicked off; and the stick shaker came on. I immediately pushed the thrust levers to maximum and the captain went to the controls. The aircraft buffeted slightly and we slowly descended between 200-400 ft while the plane gained speed. I then asked ATC for FL350 and the altitude change was approved. I feel that the cause was a combination of the PF not paying close enough attention and possible windshear at altitude. We had been flying at FL370 for quite a while with the thrust set to hold mach .77 when suddenly the autoplt kicked off and the stick shaker came on. There was a direct tailwind on the aircraft between 120-130 KTS and light chop; which makes me think there may have been some outside factors involved in our situation. Supplemental information from acn 813640: we had climbed to our initial cruise altitude of FL370. The airplane was stabilized in cruise flight at mach .77. The airplane was allowed; through lack of attention of the crew; to inadvertently slow to an unsafe speed for that altitude. The autoplt disconnected and the automatic ignition activated. The thrust levers were advanced to climb power and the airspeed stabilized. While holding FL370 and waiting for a request for a lower altitude; too much back pressure was applied on the yoke and the stick shaker activated. We were then given a lower altitude of FL350. We descended and accelerated back to the cruise speed of mach .77. Human factors that contributed to the event included fatigue and emotional stress of the captain and the first officer's lack of attention. The night before the event; the captain dealt with a personal matter concerning a close friend whose wife had been hospitalized. The captain did not receive an adequate amount of sleep before reporting to work. Once the aircraft reached cruise altitude and the speed was stabilized; the captain xferred control of the airplane to the first officer. The captain closed his eyes to rest. Moments later the autoplt disconnected and the captain took control of the airplane. When the captain re-took control of the aircraft; he took note that the first officer had charts in his lap and was doing his chart revision; and had not been monitoring the aircraft and was unaware that he let the airspeed deteriorate. The flight proceeded safely to the destination city and there was no further incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ700 FLIGHT CREW IS JARRED FROM THEIR REVERIE AT FL370 BY THE AUTOPILOT DISENGAGING AND THE STICK SHAKER COMING ON.

Narrative: IT WAS THE CAPT'S LEG AND WE WERE LEVEL AT FL370. WHILE LEVEL; THE SPD BLED DOWN; THE AUTOPLT KICKED OFF; AND THE STICK SHAKER CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE THRUST LEVERS TO MAX AND THE CAPT WENT TO THE CTLS. THE ACFT BUFFETED SLIGHTLY AND WE SLOWLY DSNDED BTWN 200-400 FT WHILE THE PLANE GAINED SPD. I THEN ASKED ATC FOR FL350 AND THE ALT CHANGE WAS APPROVED. I FEEL THAT THE CAUSE WAS A COMBINATION OF THE PF NOT PAYING CLOSE ENOUGH ATTN AND POSSIBLE WINDSHEAR AT ALT. WE HAD BEEN FLYING AT FL370 FOR QUITE A WHILE WITH THE THRUST SET TO HOLD MACH .77 WHEN SUDDENLY THE AUTOPLT KICKED OFF AND THE STICK SHAKER CAME ON. THERE WAS A DIRECT TAILWIND ON THE ACFT BTWN 120-130 KTS AND LIGHT CHOP; WHICH MAKES ME THINK THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME OUTSIDE FACTORS INVOLVED IN OUR SITUATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 813640: WE HAD CLBED TO OUR INITIAL CRUISE ALT OF FL370. THE AIRPLANE WAS STABILIZED IN CRUISE FLT AT MACH .77. THE AIRPLANE WAS ALLOWED; THROUGH LACK OF ATTN OF THE CREW; TO INADVERTENTLY SLOW TO AN UNSAFE SPD FOR THAT ALT. THE AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED AND THE AUTOMATIC IGNITION ACTIVATED. THE THRUST LEVERS WERE ADVANCED TO CLB PWR AND THE AIRSPD STABILIZED. WHILE HOLDING FL370 AND WAITING FOR A REQUEST FOR A LOWER ALT; TOO MUCH BACK PRESSURE WAS APPLIED ON THE YOKE AND THE STICK SHAKER ACTIVATED. WE WERE THEN GIVEN A LOWER ALT OF FL350. WE DSNDED AND ACCELERATED BACK TO THE CRUISE SPD OF MACH .77. HUMAN FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE EVENT INCLUDED FATIGUE AND EMOTIONAL STRESS OF THE CAPT AND THE FO'S LACK OF ATTN. THE NIGHT BEFORE THE EVENT; THE CAPT DEALT WITH A PERSONAL MATTER CONCERNING A CLOSE FRIEND WHOSE WIFE HAD BEEN HOSPITALIZED. THE CAPT DID NOT RECEIVE AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF SLEEP BEFORE RPTING TO WORK. ONCE THE ACFT REACHED CRUISE ALT AND THE SPD WAS STABILIZED; THE CAPT XFERRED CTL OF THE AIRPLANE TO THE FO. THE CAPT CLOSED HIS EYES TO REST. MOMENTS LATER THE AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED AND THE CAPT TOOK CTL OF THE AIRPLANE. WHEN THE CAPT RE-TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT; HE TOOK NOTE THAT THE FO HAD CHARTS IN HIS LAP AND WAS DOING HIS CHART REVISION; AND HAD NOT BEEN MONITORING THE ACFT AND WAS UNAWARE THAT HE LET THE AIRSPD DETERIORATE. THE FLT PROCEEDED SAFELY TO THE DEST CITY AND THERE WAS NO FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.