Narrative:

We were level at FL310 deviating around WX, we had company traffic also at FL310 in front of us. Center advised us that we were overtaking traffic and restr us to 140 KTS. We slowed to 140 KTS and then entered IMC conditions. We were encountering light turbulence and light rain when what I thought sounded like ice hitting the right fuselage, so I looked out at the right wing and there was no ice, so I looked at the engine gauges and saw the right gauge (itt) was overtemp, so I said out loud compressor stall, so the captain pulled the right power lever to idle and right condition lever to feather and said, 'I think we are losing it.' at this time I replied, 'I cannot hold the altitude.' the captain replied, 'maintain airspeed,' so I started down out of FL310 and said to get lower from center. The captain called center and told them of our situation, and center would not give descent clearance because of conflicting traffic below us. We continued our descent and the captain called center again to try to get us lower. The controller said, 'I have traffic below you at 28000'. I cannot give descent clearance, but do what you have to,' and asked us to turn left as much as possible. After we cleared our traffic the controller cleared us to FL250. We leveled off at FL250 and advanced power on the right engine and operated normally, so we proceeded to esf as normal after we cleared the WX we were deviating around. Supplemental information from acn 98408: while experiencing turbulence and heavy rain, #2 engine appeared to compressor stall (high T6, lose of torque, banging noise). The first officer lowered the nose as I reduced power due to high T6. I called ATC to notify them that I had an engine problem and we needed lower. He said he was unable due to jet traffic below us. I told ATC we had lost an engine. At this point I had not readvanced the power. ATC told the jet to turn away from us. I do not know if we lost sep. Passing through FL270 I told ATC that I was about to restart #2. This was a mistake. I should have explained that the engine was running but at idle and feathered. I should have communicated better with ATC, but it was only after we had regained level flight that the first officer and I decided what the problem was. Later maintenance confirmed by inspection that it was compressor stall. I did not buy inspection that it was compressor stall. I did not declare an emergency because the engine had not stopped and I was able to regain power. There must have been some problem because the baton rouge GADO called me after we landed. I did not land at the nearest suitable because I had the use of both engines.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LTT ENGINE PROBLEM. ALT EXCURSION.

Narrative: WE WERE LEVEL AT FL310 DEVIATING AROUND WX, WE HAD COMPANY TFC ALSO AT FL310 IN FRONT OF US. CENTER ADVISED US THAT WE WERE OVERTAKING TFC AND RESTR US TO 140 KTS. WE SLOWED TO 140 KTS AND THEN ENTERED IMC CONDITIONS. WE WERE ENCOUNTERING LIGHT TURB AND LIGHT RAIN WHEN WHAT I THOUGHT SOUNDED LIKE ICE HITTING THE RIGHT FUSELAGE, SO I LOOKED OUT AT THE RIGHT WING AND THERE WAS NO ICE, SO I LOOKED AT THE ENG GAUGES AND SAW THE RIGHT GAUGE (ITT) WAS OVERTEMP, SO I SAID OUT LOUD COMPRESSOR STALL, SO THE CAPT PULLED THE RIGHT PWR LEVER TO IDLE AND RIGHT CONDITION LEVER TO FEATHER AND SAID, 'I THINK WE ARE LOSING IT.' AT THIS TIME I REPLIED, 'I CANNOT HOLD THE ALT.' THE CAPT REPLIED, 'MAINTAIN AIRSPD,' SO I STARTED DOWN OUT OF FL310 AND SAID TO GET LOWER FROM CENTER. THE CAPT CALLED CENTER AND TOLD THEM OF OUR SITUATION, AND CENTER WOULD NOT GIVE DSCNT CLRNC BECAUSE OF CONFLICTING TFC BELOW US. WE CONTINUED OUR DSCNT AND THE CAPT CALLED CENTER AGAIN TO TRY TO GET US LOWER. THE CTLR SAID, 'I HAVE TFC BELOW YOU AT 28000'. I CANNOT GIVE DSCNT CLRNC, BUT DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO,' AND ASKED US TO TURN LEFT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. AFTER WE CLRED OUR TFC THE CTLR CLRED US TO FL250. WE LEVELED OFF AT FL250 AND ADVANCED PWR ON THE RIGHT ENG AND OPERATED NORMALLY, SO WE PROCEEDED TO ESF AS NORMAL AFTER WE CLRED THE WX WE WERE DEVIATING AROUND. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 98408: WHILE EXPERIENCING TURB AND HEAVY RAIN, #2 ENG APPEARED TO COMPRESSOR STALL (HIGH T6, LOSE OF TORQUE, BANGING NOISE). THE F/O LOWERED THE NOSE AS I REDUCED PWR DUE TO HIGH T6. I CALLED ATC TO NOTIFY THEM THAT I HAD AN ENG PROB AND WE NEEDED LOWER. HE SAID HE WAS UNABLE DUE TO JET TFC BELOW US. I TOLD ATC WE HAD LOST AN ENG. AT THIS POINT I HAD NOT READVANCED THE PWR. ATC TOLD THE JET TO TURN AWAY FROM US. I DO NOT KNOW IF WE LOST SEP. PASSING THROUGH FL270 I TOLD ATC THAT I WAS ABOUT TO RESTART #2. THIS WAS A MISTAKE. I SHOULD HAVE EXPLAINED THAT THE ENG WAS RUNNING BUT AT IDLE AND FEATHERED. I SHOULD HAVE COMMUNICATED BETTER WITH ATC, BUT IT WAS ONLY AFTER WE HAD REGAINED LEVEL FLT THAT THE F/O AND I DECIDED WHAT THE PROB WAS. LATER MAINT CONFIRMED BY INSPECTION THAT IT WAS COMPRESSOR STALL. I DID NOT BUY INSPECTION THAT IT WAS COMPRESSOR STALL. I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER BECAUSE THE ENG HAD NOT STOPPED AND I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN PWR. THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME PROB BECAUSE THE BATON ROUGE GADO CALLED ME AFTER WE LANDED. I DID NOT LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE BECAUSE I HAD THE USE OF BOTH ENGS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.