Narrative:

After smooth touchdown at sjc on runway 30L, engines would not go into reverse. No automatic speed brakes, no apparent automatic braking. Attempted reverse 2 more times and then executed normal go around. On second landing at sjc, we expected no reverse, etc, so we prepared for manual speed brakes, etc. However, everything was operations ok. I wrote up (in aircraft logbook) 'reversers did not deploy, no lights noted, second landing operations ok.' I also called and discussed this with the maintenance controller. Contributing factors: approximately 15 mi out on approach to runway 30L at sjc, the tower was asking us if we had the parallel traffic at our 2 O'clock, he has you in sight,' and if we had the airport. We looked and did not have the traffic visually, but we did have a target on our TCASII at approximately 2 O'clock and 1 mi. We discussed the fact that TCASII showed the traffic at our altitude or 100 ft higher and that we still didn't see it. We received at least 2 more TA's at 2 O'clock or 2:30 position. I was tracking in to the left of the localizer centerline because of close proximity of TCASII traffic and following the GS down. The distraction of close traffic (which supposedly had us visually, even though the traffic was ahead of us) caused me to not 'set up' earlier. Therefore, when we finally saw the traffic at 2 O'clock, I realized I was fast on approach. I extended gear and flaps 1 degrees and flaps 5 degrees at 220 KTS. After finally sighting the traffic, I concentrated only on the approach and my first officer watched the traffic, and for all practical purposes, he was 'out of the loop.' the checklists were completed and I touched down about GS touchdown point and slightly fast, approximately 142-145 KTS (reference was 132 KTS). Touchdown was very smooth but I felt the mains touch and lowered the nose and immediately tried to reverse, but reverse was locked. I noticed the speed brake did not come back (automatic speed brake was armed). I pushed reverse levers forward and reapplied reverse. I had lowered nose further and I thought the nosewheel was on the runway (but lightly). Second and third attempt to reverse to no avail. I had thought of extending speed brakes manually but didn't want to curtail my go around elective. I had announced to first officer that it wouldn't reverse. By this time there was half of runway remaining and I announced 'going around, flaps 20 degrees' and added go around power. First officer had made some comment about slow down or get out of here. We had airspeed and runway ahead so it was not a panic situation. I eased the nose up and the aircraft flew off. I was flying the airplane so was aware of what was happening or not working as it unfolded. Therefore, I was surprised when speed brakes did not extend and reversers didn't work but the whole time including go around I felt comfortable. My first officer had been 'taken out of the cockpit' trying to find the very close parallel traffic and wasn't as aware that we were fast on approach and slightly fast on touchdown. The first officer was expecting reverse, etc, and when he became aware we weren't slowing down, no reverse, etc and the other end of the runway was coming fast, therefore, the go around, etc was more of a surprise to him. He mentioned later he was almost in shock. For the second landing we'd planned on no reverse, etc. I was very surprised when everything worked. Maintenance checked ground sensors and they 'checked good.' when I talked to the maintenance controller, he had suggested, 'maybe you weren't on the runway because the gear tilt sensor is needed to activate reverse, automatic speed brakes, etc.' the tilt sensor is what sends the ACARS message 'off' and 'on.' on exiting the cockpit I noticed that the ACARS had updated and had a new 'off' time ('on' time was our final landing). If I was expecting no reverse, I'd have acted immediately on spoilers, etc, but with short runway and 90 degrees F temperature, the best action was go around and try again, which worked fine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG LGT MAKES GAR AFTER 'TOUCHDOWN' WHEN SPD BRAKES AND REVERSERS DO NOT WORK.

Narrative: AFTER SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN AT SJC ON RWY 30L, ENGS WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. NO AUTO SPD BRAKES, NO APPARENT AUTO BRAKING. ATTEMPTED REVERSE 2 MORE TIMES AND THEN EXECUTED NORMAL GAR. ON SECOND LNDG AT SJC, WE EXPECTED NO REVERSE, ETC, SO WE PREPARED FOR MANUAL SPD BRAKES, ETC. HOWEVER, EVERYTHING WAS OPS OK. I WROTE UP (IN ACFT LOGBOOK) 'REVERSERS DID NOT DEPLOY, NO LIGHTS NOTED, SECOND LNDG OPS OK.' I ALSO CALLED AND DISCUSSED THIS WITH THE MAINT CTLR. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: APPROX 15 MI OUT ON APCH TO RWY 30L AT SJC, THE TWR WAS ASKING US IF WE HAD THE PARALLEL TFC AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK, HE HAS YOU IN SIGHT,' AND IF WE HAD THE ARPT. WE LOOKED AND DID NOT HAVE THE TFC VISUALLY, BUT WE DID HAVE A TARGET ON OUR TCASII AT APPROX 2 O'CLOCK AND 1 MI. WE DISCUSSED THE FACT THAT TCASII SHOWED THE TFC AT OUR ALT OR 100 FT HIGHER AND THAT WE STILL DIDN'T SEE IT. WE RECEIVED AT LEAST 2 MORE TA'S AT 2 O'CLOCK OR 2:30 POS. I WAS TRACKING IN TO THE L OF THE LOC CTRLINE BECAUSE OF CLOSE PROX OF TCASII TFC AND FOLLOWING THE GS DOWN. THE DISTR OF CLOSE TFC (WHICH SUPPOSEDLY HAD US VISUALLY, EVEN THOUGH THE TFC WAS AHEAD OF US) CAUSED ME TO NOT 'SET UP' EARLIER. THEREFORE, WHEN WE FINALLY SAW THE TFC AT 2 O'CLOCK, I REALIZED I WAS FAST ON APCH. I EXTENDED GEAR AND FLAPS 1 DEGS AND FLAPS 5 DEGS AT 220 KTS. AFTER FINALLY SIGHTING THE TFC, I CONCENTRATED ONLY ON THE APCH AND MY FO WATCHED THE TFC, AND FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES, HE WAS 'OUT OF THE LOOP.' THE CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED AND I TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT GS TOUCHDOWN POINT AND SLIGHTLY FAST, APPROX 142-145 KTS (REF WAS 132 KTS). TOUCHDOWN WAS VERY SMOOTH BUT I FELT THE MAINS TOUCH AND LOWERED THE NOSE AND IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO REVERSE, BUT REVERSE WAS LOCKED. I NOTICED THE SPD BRAKE DID NOT COME BACK (AUTO SPD BRAKE WAS ARMED). I PUSHED REVERSE LEVERS FORWARD AND REAPPLIED REVERSE. I HAD LOWERED NOSE FURTHER AND I THOUGHT THE NOSEWHEEL WAS ON THE RWY (BUT LIGHTLY). SECOND AND THIRD ATTEMPT TO REVERSE TO NO AVAIL. I HAD THOUGHT OF EXTENDING SPD BRAKES MANUALLY BUT DIDN'T WANT TO CURTAIL MY GAR ELECTIVE. I HAD ANNOUNCED TO FO THAT IT WOULDN'T REVERSE. BY THIS TIME THERE WAS HALF OF RWY REMAINING AND I ANNOUNCED 'GOING AROUND, FLAPS 20 DEGS' AND ADDED GAR PWR. FO HAD MADE SOME COMMENT ABOUT SLOW DOWN OR GET OUT OF HERE. WE HAD AIRSPD AND RWY AHEAD SO IT WAS NOT A PANIC SIT. I EASED THE NOSE UP AND THE ACFT FLEW OFF. I WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE SO WAS AWARE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING OR NOT WORKING AS IT UNFOLDED. THEREFORE, I WAS SURPRISED WHEN SPD BRAKES DID NOT EXTEND AND REVERSERS DIDN'T WORK BUT THE WHOLE TIME INCLUDING GAR I FELT COMFORTABLE. MY FO HAD BEEN 'TAKEN OUT OF THE COCKPIT' TRYING TO FIND THE VERY CLOSE PARALLEL TFC AND WASN'T AS AWARE THAT WE WERE FAST ON APCH AND SLIGHTLY FAST ON TOUCHDOWN. THE FO WAS EXPECTING REVERSE, ETC, AND WHEN HE BECAME AWARE WE WEREN'T SLOWING DOWN, NO REVERSE, ETC AND THE OTHER END OF THE RWY WAS COMING FAST, THEREFORE, THE GAR, ETC WAS MORE OF A SURPRISE TO HIM. HE MENTIONED LATER HE WAS ALMOST IN SHOCK. FOR THE SECOND LNDG WE'D PLANNED ON NO REVERSE, ETC. I WAS VERY SURPRISED WHEN EVERYTHING WORKED. MAINT CHKED GND SENSORS AND THEY 'CHKED GOOD.' WHEN I TALKED TO THE MAINT CTLR, HE HAD SUGGESTED, 'MAYBE YOU WEREN'T ON THE RWY BECAUSE THE GEAR TILT SENSOR IS NEEDED TO ACTIVATE REVERSE, AUTO SPD BRAKES, ETC.' THE TILT SENSOR IS WHAT SENDS THE ACARS MESSAGE 'OFF' AND 'ON.' ON EXITING THE COCKPIT I NOTICED THAT THE ACARS HAD UPDATED AND HAD A NEW 'OFF' TIME ('ON' TIME WAS OUR FINAL LNDG). IF I WAS EXPECTING NO REVERSE, I'D HAVE ACTED IMMEDIATELY ON SPOILERS, ETC, BUT WITH SHORT RWY AND 90 DEGS F TEMP, THE BEST ACTION WAS GAR AND TRY AGAIN, WHICH WORKED FINE.

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.