Narrative:

Inbound to ZZZ1 from ZZZ2; I retrieved the papers for the flight which included the maintenance history and current MEL cards for air carrier X. We were scheduled to pick up air carrier X in ZZZ1 and fly it to ZZZ3 and ZZZ4. The maintenance history included gripes on the right engine reverser and the current maintenance release document indicated that reverser system was inoperative. The maintenance release document; however; seemed to state that the aircraft was in further need of inspection before it could be dispatched with the deferral. I queried the dispatcher about this via ACARS; and received a message indicating that things were uncertain. Once on the ground in ZZZ1; I was told that air carrier X had 'timed out' on this deferral and would have to be repaired before it could be dispatched. We were told to expect an aircraft change at first; but subsequently advised that air carrier X would be taken to the hangar; repaired; and brought back in about an hour. This seemed impossible. One hour later; air carrier X is returned to the gate with no new maintenance release. I had to contact the operations manager to obtain assistance from maintenance in determining the status of the aircraft. He ultimately had a mechanic come to the aircraft; and he then advised me that a new maintenance release was forthcoming. Upon receipt of the new maintenance release; it was still very unclear to me that we had an airworthy aircraft. I called our dispatcher and had him patch in maintenance. The maintenance controller took me through the maintenance history and explained that the aircraft was repaired; the reverser operational; and that all the paperwork was in order. I taxied off of the gate to runway 32L. In order to satisfy my own safety requirements; just prior to taking the runway; I cycled both the left and right engine reversers. The right reverser fault light illuminated; the reverse lever jammed; and the right reverser unlocked light illuminated. Upon return to the gate; a visual inspection of the right engine revealed the inboard reverser sleeve physically jammed in a partially opened state; and the right engine outboard reverser sleeve jammed in the closed position. The mechanics that begin making the inspection stated that there were broken parts in the actuator assembly. I cannot imagine how this aircraft was repaired prior to our departure and it certainly couldn't have been tested prior to my decision to do so (despite what the documents attest to).callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that when he received word that the scheduled airplane was to be removed from the gate and was going to the hangar to be repaired and returned in an hour; the information was received by the reporter with disbelief; as it takes 30 to 40 minutes to taxi from the terminal to the hangar with runway crossings and traffic delays. Working a reverser deferred item would take more time and then the taxi back to the terminal would take hours. Within one hour the airplane was back on the gate with the reverser deferred item cleared and operational check allegedly accomplished. The maintenance release needed some explanation and the maintenance controller walked the reporter through the document to the reporter's satisfaction. On taxi out; the reporter checked the right reverser and it failed with the inbound reverser sleeve jammed partially open and the outboard stuck in the closed position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 HAD A R REVERSER DEFERRED AS INOP PER THE MEL. THIS ITEM 'TIMED OUT' AND HAD TO BE FIXED PRIOR TO DEP. ITEM CLEARED AS REPAIRED AND OPERATIONAL CHK OK. R REVERSER SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED ON TAXI OUT.

Narrative: INBOUND TO ZZZ1 FROM ZZZ2; I RETRIEVED THE PAPERS FOR THE FLT WHICH INCLUDED THE MAINT HISTORY AND CURRENT MEL CARDS FOR ACR X. WE WERE SCHEDULED TO PICK UP ACR X IN ZZZ1 AND FLY IT TO ZZZ3 AND ZZZ4. THE MAINT HISTORY INCLUDED GRIPES ON THE R ENG REVERSER AND THE CURRENT MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT INDICATED THAT REVERSER SYSTEM WAS INOP. THE MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT; HOWEVER; SEEMED TO STATE THAT THE ACFT WAS IN FURTHER NEED OF INSPECTION BEFORE IT COULD BE DISPATCHED WITH THE DEFERRAL. I QUERIED THE DISPATCHER ABOUT THIS VIA ACARS; AND RECEIVED A MESSAGE INDICATING THAT THINGS WERE UNCERTAIN. ONCE ON THE GND IN ZZZ1; I WAS TOLD THAT ACR X HAD 'TIMED OUT' ON THIS DEFERRAL AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPAIRED BEFORE IT COULD BE DISPATCHED. WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT AN ACFT CHANGE AT FIRST; BUT SUBSEQUENTLY ADVISED THAT ACR X WOULD BE TAKEN TO THE HANGAR; REPAIRED; AND BROUGHT BACK IN ABOUT AN HOUR. THIS SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE. ONE HOUR LATER; ACR X IS RETURNED TO THE GATE WITH NO NEW MAINT RELEASE. I HAD TO CONTACT THE OPS MANAGER TO OBTAIN ASSISTANCE FROM MAINT IN DETERMINING THE STATUS OF THE ACFT. HE ULTIMATELY HAD A MECHANIC COME TO THE ACFT; AND HE THEN ADVISED ME THAT A NEW MAINT RELEASE WAS FORTHCOMING. UPON RECEIPT OF THE NEW MAINT RELEASE; IT WAS STILL VERY UNCLEAR TO ME THAT WE HAD AN AIRWORTHY ACFT. I CALLED OUR DISPATCHER AND HAD HIM PATCH IN MAINT. THE MAINT CTLR TOOK ME THROUGH THE MAINT HISTORY AND EXPLAINED THAT THE ACFT WAS REPAIRED; THE REVERSER OPERATIONAL; AND THAT ALL THE PAPERWORK WAS IN ORDER. I TAXIED OFF OF THE GATE TO RWY 32L. IN ORDER TO SATISFY MY OWN SAFETY REQUIREMENTS; JUST PRIOR TO TAKING THE RWY; I CYCLED BOTH THE L AND R ENG REVERSERS. THE R REVERSER FAULT LIGHT ILLUMINATED; THE REVERSE LEVER JAMMED; AND THE R REVERSER UNLOCKED LIGHT ILLUMINATED. UPON RETURN TO THE GATE; A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE R ENG REVEALED THE INBOARD REVERSER SLEEVE PHYSICALLY JAMMED IN A PARTIALLY OPENED STATE; AND THE R ENG OUTBOARD REVERSER SLEEVE JAMMED IN THE CLOSED POSITION. THE MECHANICS THAT BEGIN MAKING THE INSPECTION STATED THAT THERE WERE BROKEN PARTS IN THE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY. I CANNOT IMAGINE HOW THIS ACFT WAS REPAIRED PRIOR TO OUR DEP AND IT CERTAINLY COULDN'T HAVE BEEN TESTED PRIOR TO MY DECISION TO DO SO (DESPITE WHAT THE DOCUMENTS ATTEST TO).CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT WHEN HE RECEIVED WORD THAT THE SCHEDULED AIRPLANE WAS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE GATE AND WAS GOING TO THE HANGAR TO BE REPAIRED AND RETURNED IN AN HOUR; THE INFO WAS RECEIVED BY THE RPTR WITH DISBELIEF; AS IT TAKES 30 TO 40 MINUTES TO TAXI FROM THE TERMINAL TO THE HANGAR WITH RWY CROSSINGS AND TFC DELAYS. WORKING A REVERSER DEFERRED ITEM WOULD TAKE MORE TIME AND THEN THE TAXI BACK TO THE TERMINAL WOULD TAKE HOURS. WITHIN ONE HOUR THE AIRPLANE WAS BACK ON THE GATE WITH THE REVERSER DEFERRED ITEM CLEARED AND OPERATIONAL CHK ALLEGEDLY ACCOMPLISHED. THE MAINT RELEASE NEEDED SOME EXPLANATION AND THE MAINT CTLR WALKED THE RPTR THROUGH THE DOCUMENT TO THE RPTR'S SATISFACTION. ON TAXI OUT; THE RPTR CHKED THE R REVERSER AND IT FAILED WITH THE INBOUND REVERSER SLEEVE JAMMED PARTIALLY OPEN AND THE OUTBOARD STUCK IN THE CLOSED POSITION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.