Sequence of Events
After the main landing gear touched down, the thrust levers were placed in the idle reverse position. Once the nose gear contacted the runway, braking and full reverse thrust were applied. The aircraft then began to drift to the left of the runway centerline. The pilot applied asymmetrical braking, which produced no change in directional control. Subsequently, the pilot combined asymmetrical braking with asymmetrical reverse thrust. As a final effort to prevent the aircraft from departing the runway, the captain used the tiller. The aircraft came to rest on a grassy area located between the parallel runways.
Thrust Reverser Examination
The aircraft is equipped with lightweight clamshell thrust reversers. Examination revealed that the right hand thrust reverser on the number 2 engine was failed in the open (forward thrust) position. The thrust reverser lights did not indicate any abnormalities. Metallurgical examination found an overstress fracture of the lower inner hinge along with a fatigue fracture through the flange of the upper outer hinge.