Originally Posted by Bus Junkie
In the case of dispatch with one thrust reverser deactivated, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) MMEL and the recent Airbus Accident Information Telex (TAM JJ3054 AIT 4, August 2, 2007) each call for the pilot to set both thrust levers to IDLE for the flare and to set both thrust levers to MAX REVERSE at touchdown. The FAA approved MMEL does not contain procedural guidance regarding the positioning of the thrust levers on landing and during the rollout. In all cases, the system logic requires that both thrust levers be retarded to the IDLE detent for flare and landing. Pilots should follow operator specific procedures for the selection of reverse thrust.
Thanks for some new information, Bus Junkie. Occurs to me, first of all, that the Brazilian authorities would likely follow the FAA rather than its European equivalent (EASA). So the 'both throttles into full reverse' thing might not even have been in the MEL the TAM pilots had?
Raises another question, too. WHY did EASA, before the Congonhas crash, mandate 'both throttles to full reverse' at all? Doesn't make sense, really - if one R/T isn't working, surely all you'd need to do is not select it? And why did Airbus emphasise it soon AFTER Congonhas? Do they know something that we (and the FAA, apparently) don't know?
Originally Posted by Rob21
I would really like to "hear" from an A320 mechanic some info on "locking" an engine with reverse inop. What are the procedures in order to keep the a/c flying?
How do you avoid forward thrust when TL goes to idle reverse or full reverse?
I can help to an extent, Rob21, since I had the opportunity to put that question to an Airbus mechanic. As far as I understood him, the procedure is mechanical - they de-activate the (hydraulic?) linkage so that the 'add thrust' command is not activated. So that the engine still goes to fast (reverse) idle, but does not throttle up.