When the left engine reverser and master caution lights illuminated shortly after takeoff the flight...

Attributes
ACN	1029180
Time
Date	201208
Local Time Of Day	0001-0600
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Climb
Flight Plan	IFR
Component
Aircraft Component	Turbine Engine Thrust Reverser
Person 1
Function	Captain Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Person 2
Function	Pilot Not Flying First Officer
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical

Narrative:

As we rotated the left engine reverser light and master caution illuminated. We leveled at 5;000 MSL; completed the climb check and ran the QRH. We contacted the company and maintenance said the reverser should not deploy. However; a QRH note said additional system failures may cause in flight deployment thus; although maintenance said it would be ok to continue; the first officer and I agreed it was not safe to fly three hours over water. We all agreed for safety of flight to return and fix the problem. We completed an in range and approach brief; landed; and wrote up the reverser and our overweight landingafter landing the left engine reverser was pinned and an overweight landing check completed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: When the left engine reverser and master caution lights illuminated shortly after takeoff the flight crew elected to return to their departure airport for maintenance attention.

Narrative: As we rotated the Left Engine reverser light and master caution illuminated. We leveled at 5;000 MSL; completed the climb check and ran the QRH. We contacted the Company and Maintenance said the reverser should not deploy. However; a QRH note said additional system failures may cause in flight deployment thus; although Maintenance said it would be OK to continue; the First Officer and I agreed it was not safe to fly three hours over water. We all agreed for safety of flight to return and fix the problem. We completed an in range and approach brief; landed; and wrote up the reverser and our overweight landingAfter landing the left engine reverser was pinned and an overweight landing check completed.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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.