MD80 crew had indications of an unlocked thrust reverser in ZNY class east airspace.

Attributes
ACN	548443
Time
Date	200205
Day	Fri
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : mxe.vor
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 12000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc tower : elp.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	548443
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : thrust reverser warning lights other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Flight emergency return to phl. Passing through approximately 3000 ft after takeoff, left engine revere unlock light (amber light) illuminated. After ensuring both the thrust reversers were completely stowed, light extinguished. No adverse yaw was noted and the blue reverse thrust light remained extinguished. Passing through approximately 10000 ft, left engine reverse unlock light illuminated again and would not extinguish. After requesting an altitude from ZNY to level at and review emergency procedures, we were assigned 12000 ft with right 360 degree turns to the west of modena VOR. We cold find no applicable published emergency procedure, so I placed a call through to maintenance. Maintenance agreed that no published emergency procedure existed. I then declared an emergency and received preferential handling to return to phl for landing. The return to phl and subsequent overweight landing were uneventful.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD INDICATIONS OF AN UNLOCKED THRUST REVERSER IN ZNY CLASS E AIRSPACE.

Narrative: FLT EMER RETURN TO PHL. PASSING THROUGH APPROX 3000 FT AFTER TKOF, L ENG REVERE UNLOCK LIGHT (AMBER LIGHT) ILLUMINATED. AFTER ENSURING BOTH THE THRUST REVERSERS WERE COMPLETELY STOWED, LIGHT EXTINGUISHED. NO ADVERSE YAW WAS NOTED AND THE BLUE REVERSE THRUST LIGHT REMAINED EXTINGUISHED. PASSING THROUGH APPROX 10000 FT, L ENG REVERSE UNLOCK LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN AND WOULD NOT EXTINGUISH. AFTER REQUESTING AN ALT FROM ZNY TO LEVEL AT AND REVIEW EMER PROCS, WE WERE ASSIGNED 12000 FT WITH R 360 DEG TURNS TO THE W OF MODENA VOR. WE COLD FIND NO APPLICABLE PUBLISHED EMER PROC, SO I PLACED A CALL THROUGH TO MAINT. MAINT AGREED THAT NO PUBLISHED EMER PROC EXISTED. I THEN DECLARED AN EMER AND RECEIVED PREFERENTIAL HANDLING TO RETURN TO PHL FOR LNDG. THE RETURN TO PHL AND SUBSEQUENT OVERWT LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL.

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.