Narrative:

After a 1 hour ferry flight from our home base, we were landing on runway 24 at bowman field, ky, (klou), which is 4312 ft X 80 ft. Pilot briefed that he would use thrust reversers on our light transport jet due to the short runway. Landing distance was computed to be about 2700 ft. We touched down about 600 ft from the displaced threshold, on centerline. Pilot extended the spoilers and with the nose wheel on the ground, raised the thrust reverser levers. I called the 'unlock lights' and then told the pilot we only had one 'deploy' light on the right thrust reverser. The left deploy light did not illuminate. At this point, the aircraft started drifting towards the right side as the pilot applied left rudder and brake and tried to stow the right thrust reverser. That thrust reverser would not stow (lever would not go down) and engine was producing reverse thrust. I heard the right engine spool up and then down as the pilot worked the levers, and the right drift accelerated. We left the runway at about a 15 degree angle with the left rudder fully in and the left brake fully on (in anti-skid), at about 65-70 KIAS, with about 1000 ft of runway remaining. There was no damage to the aircraft. In retrospect, we might have used emergency stow and then deployed the drag chute, or as a last resort, pulled both fire handles to shut the engines down (do away with all thrust) and turned on the auxiliary hydraulic pump for brake pressure. Nose wheel steering didn't seem like a good option because of the speed ahead to center the rudder before engaging. The bottom line should be: don't depend on thrust reversers used on this light transport. If one should feel an urge to use them, one should first practice his recovery techniques and procedures on a simulator.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR JET EXPERIENCES RWY EXCURSION DURING LNDG PROC USING THRUST REVERSERS.

Narrative: AFTER A 1 HR FERRY FLT FROM OUR HOME BASE, WE WERE LNDG ON RWY 24 AT BOWMAN FIELD, KY, (KLOU), WHICH IS 4312 FT X 80 FT. PLT BRIEFED THAT HE WOULD USE THRUST REVERSERS ON OUR LTT JET DUE TO THE SHORT RWY. LNDG DISTANCE WAS COMPUTED TO BE ABOUT 2700 FT. WE TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 600 FT FROM THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD, ON CENTERLINE. PLT EXTENDED THE SPOILERS AND WITH THE NOSE WHEEL ON THE GND, RAISED THE THRUST REVERSER LEVERS. I CALLED THE 'UNLOCK LIGHTS' AND THEN TOLD THE PLT WE ONLY HAD ONE 'DEPLOY' LIGHT ON THE R THRUST REVERSER. THE L DEPLOY LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. AT THIS POINT, THE ACFT STARTED DRIFTING TOWARDS THE R SIDE AS THE PLT APPLIED L RUDDER AND BRAKE AND TRIED TO STOW THE R THRUST REVERSER. THAT THRUST REVERSER WOULD NOT STOW (LEVER WOULD NOT GO DOWN) AND ENG WAS PRODUCING REVERSE THRUST. I HEARD THE R ENG SPOOL UP AND THEN DOWN AS THE PLT WORKED THE LEVERS, AND THE R DRIFT ACCELERATED. WE LEFT THE RWY AT ABOUT A 15 DEG ANGLE WITH THE L RUDDER FULLY IN AND THE L BRAKE FULLY ON (IN ANTI-SKID), AT ABOUT 65-70 KIAS, WITH ABOUT 1000 FT OF RWY REMAINING. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. IN RETROSPECT, WE MIGHT HAVE USED EMER STOW AND THEN DEPLOYED THE DRAG CHUTE, OR AS A LAST RESORT, PULLED BOTH FIRE HANDLES TO SHUT THE ENGS DOWN (DO AWAY WITH ALL THRUST) AND TURNED ON THE AUX HYD PUMP FOR BRAKE PRESSURE. NOSE WHEEL STEERING DIDN'T SEEM LIKE A GOOD OPTION BECAUSE OF THE SPD AHEAD TO CENTER THE RUDDER BEFORE ENGAGING. THE BOTTOM LINE SHOULD BE: DON'T DEPEND ON THRUST REVERSERS USED ON THIS LTT. IF ONE SHOULD FEEL AN URGE TO USE THEM, ONE SHOULD FIRST PRACTICE HIS RECOVERY TECHNIQUES AND PROCS ON A SIMULATOR.

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