What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 8/17/2000 at 1522 EDT, a U.S. Airways flight 471 was enroute from lga to ric, when flight 471 diverted to orf and landed on runway 05 after the left engine thrust reverser deployed and the left engine was shutdown during descent. The ARFF responded and the a/c taxied to the ramp without incident. EA21 was notified by camacho/roo. The subsequent investigation involving the NTSB, usaa engineering, Fokker engineering, revealed that the left engine thrust reverser (t/r), made an uncommanded deployment when the throttle lever was retarded below minimum flight thrust. Preliminary details from the flight data recorder down load shows that the t/r fully deployed for approx. 50 seconds, then was in transit, not deployed and not stowed state, for another 35 seconds. Preliminary results of the investigation determined that the left main landing gear flight/ground switch had an internal failure. This resulted in the switch completing the weight on wheels circuitry while the a/c was in flight. See additional attached sheets (.4) during decent for landing, the flight crew experienced a temporary inadvertent deployment of the left engine thrust reverser. The flight crew dec lared an emergency and diverted to a nearby airport, where the airplane landed without further incident. Examination of the thrust reverser control system revealed that if thrust lever was moved aggressively to the aft stop, the left engine's thrust reverser switch could actuate. Additionally, faults were observed in left main landing gear ground/flight (g/f) switch, and the left engine thrust reverser deploy switch. After the left main landing gear g/f switch and the thrust lever switchbox were replaced, the airplane's thrust reverser system tested "ok."
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 8/17/2000 AT 1522 EDT, A U.S. AIRWAYS FLIGHT 471 WAS ENROUTE FROM LGA TO RIC, WHEN FLIGHT 471 DIVERTED TO ORF AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 05 AFTER THE LEFT ENGINE THRUST REVERSER DEPLOYED AND THE LEFT ENGINE WAS SHUTDOWN DURING DESCENT. THE ARFF RESPONDED AND THE A/C TAXIED TO THE RAMP WITHOUT INCIDENT. EA21 WAS NOTIFIED BY CAMACHO/ROO. THE SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION INVOLVING THE NTSB, USAA ENGINEERING, FOKKER ENGINEERING, REVEALED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE THRUST REVERSER (T/R), MADE AN UNCOMMANDED DEPLOYMENT WHEN THE THROTTLE LEVER WAS RETARDED BELOW MINIMUM FLIGHT THRUST. PRELIMINARY DETAILS FROM THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER DOWN LOAD SHOWS THAT THE T/R FULLY DEPLOYED FOR APPROX. 50 SECONDS, THEN WAS IN TRANSIT, NOT DEPLOYED AND NOT STOWED STATE, FOR ANOTHER 35 SECONDS. PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR FLIGHT/GROUND SWITCH HAD AN INTERNAL FAILURE. THIS RESULTED IN THE SWITCH COMPLETING THE WEIGHT ON WHEELS CIRCUITRY WHILE THE A/C WAS IN FLIGHT. SEE ADDITIONAL ATTACHED SHEETS (.4) DURING DECENT FOR LANDING, THE FLIGHT CREW EXPERIENCED A TEMPORARY INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT OF THE LEFT ENGINE THRUST REVERSER. THE FLIGHT CREW DEC LARED AN EMERGENCY AND DIVERTED TO A NEARBY AIRPORT, WHERE THE AIRPLANE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE THRUST REVERSER CONTROL SYSTEM REVEALED THAT IF THRUST LEVER WAS MOVED AGGRESSIVELY TO THE AFT STOP, THE LEFT ENGINE'S THRUST REVERSER SWITCH COULD ACTUATE. ADDITIONALLY, FAULTS WERE OBSERVED IN LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR GROUND/FLIGHT (G/F) SWITCH, AND THE LEFT ENGINE THRUST REVERSER DEPLOY SWITCH. AFTER THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR G/F SWITCH AND THE THRUST LEVER SWITCHBOX WERE REPLACED, THE AIRPLANE'S THRUST REVERSER SYSTEM TESTED "OK."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.