B737-700
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 341
Confusion; Situational Awareness; Human-Machine Interface
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew FLC Overrode Automation; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution
Human Factors; Procedure; Aircraft
Everything appeared normal with checklist and pushback from gate. Once pushback was completed; we got a scratchpad message on the FMC stating IRS MOTION. The First Officer and I both looked up at the overhead center panel at the IRS switches and noticed they were both in ALIGN. The First Officer apologized and placed them in NAV. I cleared the scratchpad message and took a look at our PFD's and the FMC and thought everything looked normal and elected to continue. As we were taxiing out to Runway XXL; we got the IRS MOTION message again on the FMC scratchpad. I looked over our PFD's and FMC LEGS page and once again everything looked normal; so I cleared the FMC scratchpad message and elected to continue. We were cleared for takeoff and I was the Pilot Monitoring; at this point everything looked normal on our displays. I'm not exactly sure of the exact airspeed; however; what we believed to be past 80 knots [was when] we got the MASTER CAUTION IRS light. I cleared the MASTER CAUTION IRS light and said to continue. Once we became airborne; we noticed all navigation and attitude information on both sets of PFD's were inoperative. All we had was the backup ADI and the Whiskey Compass above the center window. At that point I informed ZZZ Tower that we needed a No Gyro PAR back to ZZZ. I told them that we had lost our attitude and navigation instrumentation and needed a No Gyro PAR back to the airport. They brought us around north of the airport where the weather was more cooperative and we were able to obtain the airport visually. ATC asked while on final if we were declaring an EMERGENCY and I said 'no'. ATC asked us if we needed the fire trucks to follow us down the runway and I said that I didn't think we needed that with the issue we had. After landing on Runway XXR; we taxied to gate at ZZZ and were met by the Fire Department; Company Maintenance; and Company Operations.
Upon pushback from gate in ZZZ; the First Officer noticed an IRS MOTION annunciator appear in the scratchpad of the FMC. The First Officer pointed out the annunciator to the Captain; then the crew looked and noted that the IRS was still in ALIGN mode and the First Officer realized he had forgotten to turn the IRS switches back to NAV during the process of initialization of the IRSs at the gate. Upon this realization; the First Officer turned the switches to the NAV mode. The crew cleared the annunciator; then paused for a few minutes after pushback to ensure the navigation system was operating normally; concluded that the IRSs had caught up with their alignment; then decided to proceed with the flight sequence since all systems appeared normal. During taxi out to Runway XXL; the IRS motion annunciator again appeared in the FMC scratchpad. The crew again checked the navigation systems and the LEGS page of the FMC to ensure everything was normal; cleared the scratchpad; and then elected to continue since everything still appeared normal. Shortly afterward; the crew was cleared for takeoff on Runway XXL. All displays appeared normal as the crew took the runway for takeoff; with the First Officer as Pilot Flying. Shortly after the 80 knots call on takeoff; the crew noticed the Master Caution light illuminate. The Captain directed the First Officer to continue since the airspeed was now greater than 80 knots. The First Officer did not notice right away that the displays had disappeared due to a 27-knot crosswind requiring a focus outside on the runway. At the 'Rotate' call; the First Officer noticed that the displays were absent and used visual; airspeed; altimeter; and standby attitude indicator references to continue the takeoff safely. Since the ceiling was approximately 1;500 feet MSL; the First Officer leveled off just below the cloud deck; while the Captain requested a No Gyro PAR back to the airport from ATC. The crew was able to maintain ground references while gradually climbing to the altitude of 2;000 feet MSL requested by ATC; but could not visually acquire the airport at first. The ceilings became higher as the crew proceeded with ATC assistance to the northwest side of the airport. Eventually; the First Officer was able to see the airport off the right side of the aircraft; and the crew configured for a visual approach to Runway XXR. ATC asked if the crew required fire trucks to follow the aircraft; and the Captain responded 'negative'. The First Officer safely landed on Runway XXR; then the Captain took controls and taxied the aircraft normally back to [the] gate. The navigation displays did not reappear upon landing. Fire trucks; Company Maintenance; and Company Operations met the aircraft at the gate. The crew shut down the aircraft.
B737 flight crew reported the loss of all navigation and attitude information after takeoff.