Narrative:

There are conditions in which the spoilers will sometimes stow after touchdown. The conditions are landing at gross weights between 125000 and 130000 pounds, and a forward C.G. Longitudinally, with a trim index greater than 6, and usually at 8 or higher, and a crosswind component usually 10 knots or greater. In addition, landing on an upsloping runway, or on certain runways with terrain features that promote downdrafts at the threshold during windy conditions, or large temperature dewpoint spreads from mid-day to late afternoon that tend to generate (sinkers) during the flare, will exacerbate the tendency for the spoiler lever to stow during landing. The reason the spoiler lever stows is that, under the above conditions, you are often touching down with the throttles above the 22 degree switch. When the mains touch, the spoiler lever comes back, the system then senses the throttles beyond 22 degrees and the spoiler lever then stows itself. This occurance is not a malfunction of the system, but is due to a set of circumstances that are not encountered too often. When I see these conditions present during the approach, I brief the first officer on the possibility of having the spoilers stow themselves after touchdown. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD-80 CAPT DESCRIBES THE CONDITIONS THAT LEAD TO SPOILER RETRACTION AFTER AUTO DEPLOYMENT ON LNDG.

Narrative: THERE ARE CONDITIONS IN WHICH THE SPOILERS WILL SOMETIMES STOW AFTER TOUCHDOWN. THE CONDITIONS ARE LNDG AT GROSS WEIGHTS BTWN 125000 AND 130000 POUNDS, AND A FORWARD C.G. LONGITUDINALLY, WITH A TRIM INDEX GREATER THAN 6, AND USUALLY AT 8 OR HIGHER, AND A XWIND COMPONENT USUALLY 10 KNOTS OR GREATER. IN ADDITION, LNDG ON AN UPSLOPING RWY, OR ON CERTAIN RWYS WITH TERRAIN FEATURES THAT PROMOTE DOWNDRAFTS AT THE THRESHOLD DURING WINDY CONDITIONS, OR LARGE TEMPERATURE DEWPOINT SPREADS FROM MID-DAY TO LATE AFTERNOON THAT TEND TO GENERATE (SINKERS) DURING THE FLARE, WILL EXACERBATE THE TENDENCY FOR THE SPOILER LEVER TO STOW DURING LNDG. THE REASON THE SPOILER LEVER STOWS IS THAT, UNDER THE ABOVE CONDITIONS, YOU ARE OFTEN TOUCHING DOWN WITH THE THROTTLES ABOVE THE 22 DEG SWITCH. WHEN THE MAINS TOUCH, THE SPOILER LEVER COMES BACK, THE SYSTEM THEN SENSES THE THROTTLES BEYOND 22 DEGS AND THE SPOILER LEVER THEN STOWS ITSELF. THIS OCCURANCE IS NOT A MALFUNCTION OF THE SYSTEM, BUT IS DUE TO A SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE NOT ENCOUNTERED TOO OFTEN. WHEN I SEE THESE CONDITIONS PRESENT DURING THE APCH, I BRIEF THE FO ON THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING THE SPOILERS STOW THEMSELVES AFTER TOUCHDOWN. SOMETIMES THEY DO AND SOMETIMES THEY DON'T.

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.