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A C560XL's lower clam shell reverser deployed and separated in flight causing moderate vibration but no cockpit annunciation. Prior to flight the reverser was pinned but the procedure may have been improperly completed.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 932229 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201102 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201-1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.ARTCC |
| State Reference | US |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Citation Excel (C560XL) |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | Cruise |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Component | |
| Aircraft Component | Reverser Clamshell Door |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | First Officer Pilot Not Flying |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | Captain Pilot Flying |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical |
Narrative:
In level cruise flight I felt an abrupt deceleration and heard/felt a vibration in the cockpit. I immediately looked at the engine gauges and saw the PIC pull the throttles back to 80% N1. We conversed about what we had just experienced and decided we indeed had some vibration from an unknown source. There were no alert lights in the cockpit; only the vibration which had lessened with the reduction in power/airspeed. ATC then issued a pilot discretion descent and at this time the captain began the descent; while I informed ATC of the vibration and requested priority handling. The landing was normal; but postflight revealed that some portion of the right thrust reverser had deployed and had caused some structural damage to that portion of the aircraft. As a crew; we had no idea what was causing this vibration. Cockpit indications; i.e. Thrust reverser lights; were disabled. It could be instructive if we could learn how 'pinned' thrust reversers could cause this problem in flight.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A C560XL's lower clam shell reverser deployed and separated in flight causing moderate vibration but no cockpit annunciation. Prior to flight the reverser was pinned but the procedure may have been improperly completed.
Narrative: In level cruise flight I felt an abrupt deceleration and heard/felt a vibration in the cockpit. I immediately looked at the engine gauges and saw the PIC pull the throttles back to 80% N1. We conversed about what we had just experienced and decided we indeed had some vibration from an unknown source. There were no alert lights in the cockpit; only the vibration which had lessened with the reduction in power/airspeed. ATC then issued a pilot discretion descent and at this time the Captain began the descent; while I informed ATC of the vibration and requested priority handling. The landing was normal; but postflight revealed that some portion of the right thrust reverser had deployed and had caused some structural damage to that portion of the aircraft. As a crew; we had no idea what was causing this vibration. Cockpit indications; i.e. thrust reverser lights; were disabled. It could be instructive if we could learn how 'pinned' thrust reversers could cause this problem in flight.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.