Definition
An automatic system on turbojet aircraft that retracts (stows) the thrust reversers back to their forward-thrust position when engine power is reduced below a set threshold during the landing rollout, ensuring the reversers are not left deployed at low speeds where they could cause handling or engine ingestion issues.
Plain English
A feature that automatically puts the thrust reversers away once the airplane has slowed enough, so the pilot does not have to remember to close them at the end of the rollout.
Context Anchor
Seen in turbine airplane thrust reverser system descriptions, abnormal procedures, and cockpit messages related to reverser position.
Derivation
‘Stow’ comes from older English meaning ‘to put away in its proper place,’ the same sense used when crew ‘stow’ baggage. ‘Auto-stow’ simply means the system does this putting-away by itself.
Why Pilots Care
Prevents partial or asymmetric reverse thrust that could cause loss of directional control or unintended deceleration in flight.
Intuition Check
Auto-stow does not mean the pilot should ignore the problem. It means the airplane has an automatic protection trying to return the reverser to its safe, put-away position.
Example Sentence 1
As the airplane decelerated through the auto-stow speed, the thrust reversers retracted automatically and the pilot transitioned to wheel braking.
Example Sentence 2
If the aircraft bounces or lifts off again, the auto-stow system immediately returns the thrust reversers to forward thrust.