Narrative:

Concerning the #2 rev unlk light within the scope of MEL; I have never seen or experienced this light coming on in the manner in which it did or the sequences of events after the fact. And as I explain; there was more to this event that caused me to declare an emergency; roll the trucks and make a single engine landing with #2 engine retarded which goes beyond the rev unlk light and what I actually had to deal with. Here is what happened: I was very aware of the #2 rev being locked out and the scope of this MEL. I have had many experiences with this problem. On takeoff while climbing out of 1500 ft the rev unlk light for #2 came on. I have never experienced this happening in this manner before. Then we got the master caution light with aural warning. And then we got the ECAM action page calling for #2 reverse unlock which is the red box item calling for retarding the throttle or shutting the engine down. This is a serious possibility with questionable outcome. This was not supposed to happen. Only the rev unlk is noted to be able to illuminate under this particular MEL. I had no choice in the matter. I did not know what was real or not real so I decided to follow ECAM. We retarded the throttle via ECAM; did all checklists and landed with the #2 engine retarded and single engine. No event but hot brakes to the gate and this was handled appropriately. Then I was met by maintenance and the only thing that seemed to have any bearing was the rev unlk light and the fact that the #2 rev was locked out. And on only 1 side of the engine due to the other side being stripped and unable to hold the lock. That's when I decided to advise my chief pilot about the incident. But I basically just advised him of the event and not the sequence of events just to let him know what had happened. I was dealing with the issue myself. My first officer explained to maintenance the issue with the ECAM. We were told that these warnings could not be explained and that the rev was locked out regardless and that the other warnings had no bearing. While I was convinced at that point I was not anything but confused during the event. As it was explained to me I accepted and understood that the #2 rev was indeed locked out and safe. I entered a maintenance log item dealing with the basic issue of the event. Against my instinct not to ignore ECAM I took the aircraft to ZZZ2 and back. The aircraft did the same thing on each takeoff and I ignored and deleted the ECAM alert. But there was something about this I just could not accept. On the way back to ZZZ1 I made a more detailed write-up as information to maintenance and briefed maintenance upon arrival. Looking at the event and the information I had; I had no choice but to follow ECAM on the initial event. There are some things here I am bothered with concerning this. And I am not so sure I should have taken the aircraft as it was. I think regardless of MEL interpretation or clarification from maintenance that ECAM should always take precedence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A300 REV UNLK LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITH REVERSE LOCKED OUT. THE ECAM ACTION WAS TO SECURE THE ENG AND LAND. THE ACFT WAS LATER FLOWN WITH THE LIGHT ON.

Narrative: CONCERNING THE #2 REV UNLK LIGHT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF MEL; I HAVE NEVER SEEN OR EXPERIENCED THIS LIGHT COMING ON IN THE MANNER IN WHICH IT DID OR THE SEQUENCES OF EVENTS AFTER THE FACT. AND AS I EXPLAIN; THERE WAS MORE TO THIS EVENT THAT CAUSED ME TO DECLARE AN EMER; ROLL THE TRUCKS AND MAKE A SINGLE ENG LNDG WITH #2 ENG RETARDED WHICH GOES BEYOND THE REV UNLK LIGHT AND WHAT I ACTUALLY HAD TO DEAL WITH. HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED: I WAS VERY AWARE OF THE #2 REV BEING LOCKED OUT AND THE SCOPE OF THIS MEL. I HAVE HAD MANY EXPERIENCES WITH THIS PROB. ON TKOF WHILE CLBING OUT OF 1500 FT THE REV UNLK LIGHT FOR #2 CAME ON. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS HAPPENING IN THIS MANNER BEFORE. THEN WE GOT THE MASTER CAUTION LIGHT WITH AURAL WARNING. AND THEN WE GOT THE ECAM ACTION PAGE CALLING FOR #2 REVERSE UNLOCK WHICH IS THE RED BOX ITEM CALLING FOR RETARDING THE THROTTLE OR SHUTTING THE ENG DOWN. THIS IS A SERIOUS POSSIBILITY WITH QUESTIONABLE OUTCOME. THIS WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. ONLY THE REV UNLK IS NOTED TO BE ABLE TO ILLUMINATE UNDER THIS PARTICULAR MEL. I HAD NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER. I DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS REAL OR NOT REAL SO I DECIDED TO FOLLOW ECAM. WE RETARDED THE THROTTLE VIA ECAM; DID ALL CHKLISTS AND LANDED WITH THE #2 ENG RETARDED AND SINGLE ENG. NO EVENT BUT HOT BRAKES TO THE GATE AND THIS WAS HANDLED APPROPRIATELY. THEN I WAS MET BY MAINT AND THE ONLY THING THAT SEEMED TO HAVE ANY BEARING WAS THE REV UNLK LIGHT AND THE FACT THAT THE #2 REV WAS LOCKED OUT. AND ON ONLY 1 SIDE OF THE ENG DUE TO THE OTHER SIDE BEING STRIPPED AND UNABLE TO HOLD THE LOCK. THAT'S WHEN I DECIDED TO ADVISE MY CHIEF PLT ABOUT THE INCIDENT. BUT I BASICALLY JUST ADVISED HIM OF THE EVENT AND NOT THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS JUST TO LET HIM KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I WAS DEALING WITH THE ISSUE MYSELF. MY FO EXPLAINED TO MAINT THE ISSUE WITH THE ECAM. WE WERE TOLD THAT THESE WARNINGS COULD NOT BE EXPLAINED AND THAT THE REV WAS LOCKED OUT REGARDLESS AND THAT THE OTHER WARNINGS HAD NO BEARING. WHILE I WAS CONVINCED AT THAT POINT I WAS NOT ANYTHING BUT CONFUSED DURING THE EVENT. AS IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME I ACCEPTED AND UNDERSTOOD THAT THE #2 REV WAS INDEED LOCKED OUT AND SAFE. I ENTERED A MAINT LOG ITEM DEALING WITH THE BASIC ISSUE OF THE EVENT. AGAINST MY INSTINCT NOT TO IGNORE ECAM I TOOK THE ACFT TO ZZZ2 AND BACK. THE ACFT DID THE SAME THING ON EACH TKOF AND I IGNORED AND DELETED THE ECAM ALERT. BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT THIS I JUST COULD NOT ACCEPT. ON THE WAY BACK TO ZZZ1 I MADE A MORE DETAILED WRITE-UP AS INFO TO MAINT AND BRIEFED MAINT UPON ARR. LOOKING AT THE EVENT AND THE INFO I HAD; I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO FOLLOW ECAM ON THE INITIAL EVENT. THERE ARE SOME THINGS HERE I AM BOTHERED WITH CONCERNING THIS. AND I AM NOT SO SURE I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE ACFT AS IT WAS. I THINK REGARDLESS OF MEL INTERP OR CLARIFICATION FROM MAINT THAT ECAM SHOULD ALWAYS TAKE PRECEDENCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.