A DC10-30 IN CRUISE AT 17000 FT DECLARED AN EMER; DUMPED FUEL AND DIVERTED DUE TO #1 ENGINE THRUST REVERSER DEPLOYED.

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LEVEL AT 17000 FT MSL AT 319 KTS. # 1 ENGINE REV IN TRANS LIGHT ILLUMINATED FOLLOWED BY A SEVERE L YAW. #1 THROTTLE WAS RETARDED TO IDLE AND SHUT DOWN PER COCKPIT OPERATING PROCS. APPROX 86000 LBS OF FUEL WAS DUMPED AT OR ABOVE 6000 FT MSL. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT 402000 LBS. TAXIED TO THE GATE UNEVENTFULLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE #1 ENGINE WENT INTO REVERSE IN LEVEL FLT AT 17000 FT AT 319 KTS THE IN TRANSIT LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED BUT NO GREEN FULL REVERSE LIGHT. THE RPTR SAID FROM HIS EXPERIENCE ON FLYING A MILITARY LOCKHEED C-5B WHICH HAS IN FLT CAPABILITY OF REVERSING #2 AND #3 ENGINES; THIS ENGINE ABSOLUTELY WENT INTO REVERSE. THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE HAD A SEVERE L YAW AND FLIPPED CABIN SERVING CARTS OVER ON THEIR SIDES. THE RPTR SAID WHEN ON THE GND THE FAN REVERSER WAS OBSERVED BY MAINTENANCE TO BE DEPLOYED APPROX 6 INCHES. THE RPTR STATED TO DATE MAINT HAS RELEASED NO INFO ON THE REVERSER MALFUNCTION. THE RPTR SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS CONFIGURED SO REVERSING COULD NOT BE DEPLOYED; GEAR UP AND LOCKED; THROTTLES FORWARD AND AIRPLANE SENSING FLT MODE. THE RPTR CLAIMS THAT THIS AIRPLANE HAD PREVIOUS REVERSER LOGBOOK RPTS. THE RPTR SAID THIS IS THE FIRST RPT ON A DC-10 ACTUAL REVERSER DEPLOYMENT IN FLT. CALLBACK FROM ACN 538441: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT IN FLT AT 17000 FT MSL AND 320 KTS EXPERIENCED A SEVERE YAW TO THE L WITH THE #1 THRUST REVERSER IN TRANSIT LIGHT ILLUMINATED THE RPTR SAID WHEN ON THE GND THE REVERSER WAS FOUND PARTIALLY DEPLOYED. THE RPTR SAID TO DATE NO FINDINGS HAVE BEEN RELEASED BY COMPANY MAINT OR THE MANUFACTURER. THE RPTR STATED THIS WAS THE FIRST IN FLT DEPLOYMENT OF A DC-10 THRUST REVERSER IN 32 YRS.