Narrative:

During cruise at FL270, left rev unlocked caution message appeared, along with an amber rev icon on left N1 gauge, and left reverser emergency-stow light illuminated. There was no aircraft buffet felt. Autothrottle retarder did not activate. Fulfilled memory items and referred to QRH. Initially was confused by 2 things: 1) the rev-unlocked message is a yellow caution message, but its QRH procedure is in the red emergency section, an incongruity that has confused many a flight crew over the yrs. 2) the reverser, in this case, did not actually deploy, and the autothrottle retarder did not activate, giving rise to the question of how exactly to perform QRH memory associated with the procedure, which states: thrust lever -- confirm at idle, emergency-stow switch -- push. In other words, is it necessary to bring the thrust lever to idle ourselves if the autothrottle retarder did not activate prior to pushing the emergency stow button? The QRH does not address this possibility. We asked for and received a clearance to descend, at which point the thrust levers were retarded to idle and the emergency-stow button was pushed, completing the memory items. Still unsure about the remainder of the procedure (see #1 above), we questioned whether a diversion to land at the nearest suitable airport was required or not, so consulted in conference call with dispatcher and maintenance control, and although neither party on the ground provided definitive guidance initially, I felt it was in the best interest of safety to land at the nearest suitable airport, and all parties concurred on a diversion to ind. We notified ATC of our need for a precautionary diversion to ind for potential thrust reverser problem, then informed flight attendant and passenger. While inbound to ind, contacted ind station to inform them of our imminent arrival. After arrival at ind, dispatch and maintenance control were re-contacted, passenger were deplaned, aircraft was written up, and dispatch release amended. Contract mechanic met the aircraft immediately and secure, deactivated the left thrust reverser, deferring it under direction of maintenance control. Once maintenance action was completed, aircraft was re-dispatched ind-cvg with remaining passenger, who were told that the thrust reverser in question had been deactivated and locked securely in a safe condition so as not to cause any further problems. Flight proceeded to cvg without further incident. After the incident, talked to rj program manager, who eliminated my confusion over the thrust reverser message and QRH procedure, saying not to worry, we were not the first crew to be confused over it. He explained further backgnd information and helped improve my understanding of the issue. He spoke of additional guidance that used to be included in the QRH procedure, but has since been removed for some reason. I did, then, remember when that additional verbiage used to be there, and perhaps I was confused, because subconsciously, I expected to still see it there. As it turned out, all our actions did effectively accomplish everything called for in the QRH procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARJ1 CREW HAD A L REV UNLOCKED MESSAGE. THE CREW DIVERTED TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE AT FL270, L REV UNLOCKED CAUTION MESSAGE APPEARED, ALONG WITH AN AMBER REV ICON ON L N1 GAUGE, AND L REVERSER EMER-STOW LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THERE WAS NO ACFT BUFFET FELT. AUTOTHROTTLE RETARDER DID NOT ACTIVATE. FULFILLED MEMORY ITEMS AND REFERRED TO QRH. INITIALLY WAS CONFUSED BY 2 THINGS: 1) THE REV-UNLOCKED MESSAGE IS A YELLOW CAUTION MESSAGE, BUT ITS QRH PROC IS IN THE RED EMER SECTION, AN INCONGRUITY THAT HAS CONFUSED MANY A FLT CREW OVER THE YRS. 2) THE REVERSER, IN THIS CASE, DID NOT ACTUALLY DEPLOY, AND THE AUTOTHROTTLE RETARDER DID NOT ACTIVATE, GIVING RISE TO THE QUESTION OF HOW EXACTLY TO PERFORM QRH MEMORY ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROC, WHICH STATES: THRUST LEVER -- CONFIRM AT IDLE, EMER-STOW SWITCH -- PUSH. IN OTHER WORDS, IS IT NECESSARY TO BRING THE THRUST LEVER TO IDLE OURSELVES IF THE AUTOTHROTTLE RETARDER DID NOT ACTIVATE PRIOR TO PUSHING THE EMER STOW BUTTON? THE QRH DOES NOT ADDRESS THIS POSSIBILITY. WE ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED A CLRNC TO DSND, AT WHICH POINT THE THRUST LEVERS WERE RETARDED TO IDLE AND THE EMER-STOW BUTTON WAS PUSHED, COMPLETING THE MEMORY ITEMS. STILL UNSURE ABOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE PROC (SEE #1 ABOVE), WE QUESTIONED WHETHER A DIVERSION TO LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT WAS REQUIRED OR NOT, SO CONSULTED IN CONFERENCE CALL WITH DISPATCHER AND MAINT CTL, AND ALTHOUGH NEITHER PARTY ON THE GND PROVIDED DEFINITIVE GUIDANCE INITIALLY, I FELT IT WAS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF SAFETY TO LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT, AND ALL PARTIES CONCURRED ON A DIVERSION TO IND. WE NOTIFIED ATC OF OUR NEED FOR A PRECAUTIONARY DIVERSION TO IND FOR POTENTIAL THRUST REVERSER PROB, THEN INFORMED FLT ATTENDANT AND PAX. WHILE INBOUND TO IND, CONTACTED IND STATION TO INFORM THEM OF OUR IMMINENT ARR. AFTER ARR AT IND, DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL WERE RE-CONTACTED, PAX WERE DEPLANED, ACFT WAS WRITTEN UP, AND DISPATCH RELEASE AMENDED. CONTRACT MECH MET THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY AND SECURE, DEACTIVATED THE L THRUST REVERSER, DEFERRING IT UNDER DIRECTION OF MAINT CTL. ONCE MAINT ACTION WAS COMPLETED, ACFT WAS RE-DISPATCHED IND-CVG WITH REMAINING PAX, WHO WERE TOLD THAT THE THRUST REVERSER IN QUESTION HAD BEEN DEACTIVATED AND LOCKED SECURELY IN A SAFE CONDITION SO AS NOT TO CAUSE ANY FURTHER PROBS. FLT PROCEEDED TO CVG WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER THE INCIDENT, TALKED TO RJ PROGRAM MGR, WHO ELIMINATED MY CONFUSION OVER THE THRUST REVERSER MESSAGE AND QRH PROC, SAYING NOT TO WORRY, WE WERE NOT THE FIRST CREW TO BE CONFUSED OVER IT. HE EXPLAINED FURTHER BACKGND INFO AND HELPED IMPROVE MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISSUE. HE SPOKE OF ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE THAT USED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE QRH PROC, BUT HAS SINCE BEEN REMOVED FOR SOME REASON. I DID, THEN, REMEMBER WHEN THAT ADDITIONAL VERBIAGE USED TO BE THERE, AND PERHAPS I WAS CONFUSED, BECAUSE SUBCONSCIOUSLY, I EXPECTED TO STILL SEE IT THERE. AS IT TURNED OUT, ALL OUR ACTIONS DID EFFECTIVELY ACCOMPLISH EVERYTHING CALLED FOR IN THE QRH PROC.

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.