Incident Overview
A domestic passenger flight operating a Boeing 727-200 encountered clear air turbulence while en route from Nassau, Bahamas to Atlanta, Georgia. The aircraft was cruising at flight level 370 (FL370) under visual meteorological conditions when the event occurred.
Sequence of Events
Prior to reaching FL370, the flight experienced light chop. The fasten seat belt sign was illuminated. The crew had no indication that severe turbulence might be encountered. Between 1435:31.42 and 1435:31.45, without warning, the aircraft rolled 52.2 degrees to the right and 58.9 degrees to the left. During the same interval, the vertical acceleration reached a maximum of 1.93 G and a minimum of -0.80 G. The aircraft lost 1,500 feet in altitude.
Flight Conditions
At the time of the turbulence, visual meteorological conditions prevailed at FL370. The turbulence was described as clear air turbulence, with no prior warnings or indications available to the flight crew.