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.

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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.