Engine fire warning, delayed clearance to return. Emergency.

Attributes
ACN	103309
Time
Date	198901
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : nbo
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5380 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : hkna
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Heavy Transport, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	103309
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

The aircraft was off chocks night nbo for dxb. Airborne at xx. At Y #3 engine fire warning came on. Full engine fire drill carried out and one bottle discharged. The light went out. Mogedishn controller gave us clearance to descend from FL370 to FL330 at our request, but wasted 5 mins to clear us to FL310 to return to nbo. Only after declaring an emergency situation that mgq controller gave us clearance to descend to FL310 within their fir. Few mins later while at FL310 we got a SELCAL on HF 11300 KHZ from nbo giving us clearance into kenya airspace. 10 mins after engine shut down the fire warning came on again intermittently. Upon visibility inspection of #3 engine from cabin we declared a false warning and landed in nbo 6 mins later with the fire warning light still on. Cancelled 3 mins later. On ground the engineers confirmed faulty fire warning system. Mogedishn airport has very poor navigation facs and with their old and poor quality radio and english language accent makes it very difficult to understand both ways when there is different communication other then normal position report. This can cause secondary emergency situation developing in a emergency situation with poor communication and delayed clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENGINE FIRE WARNING, DELAYED CLRNC TO RETURN. EMERGENCY.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS OFF CHOCKS NIGHT NBO FOR DXB. AIRBORNE AT XX. AT Y #3 ENG FIRE WARNING CAME ON. FULL ENG FIRE DRILL CARRIED OUT AND ONE BOTTLE DISCHARGED. THE LIGHT WENT OUT. MOGEDISHN CTLR GAVE US CLRNC TO DSND FROM FL370 TO FL330 AT OUR REQUEST, BUT WASTED 5 MINS TO CLR US TO FL310 TO RETURN TO NBO. ONLY AFTER DECLARING AN EMER SITUATION THAT MGQ CTLR GAVE US CLRNC TO DSND TO FL310 WITHIN THEIR FIR. FEW MINS LATER WHILE AT FL310 WE GOT A SELCAL ON HF 11300 KHZ FROM NBO GIVING US CLRNC INTO KENYA AIRSPACE. 10 MINS AFTER ENG SHUT DOWN THE FIRE WARNING CAME ON AGAIN INTERMITTENTLY. UPON VIS INSPECTION OF #3 ENG FROM CABIN WE DECLARED A FALSE WARNING AND LANDED IN NBO 6 MINS LATER WITH THE FIRE WARNING LIGHT STILL ON. CANCELLED 3 MINS LATER. ON GND THE ENGINEERS CONFIRMED FAULTY FIRE WARNING SYS. MOGEDISHN ARPT HAS VERY POOR NAV FACS AND WITH THEIR OLD AND POOR QUALITY RADIO AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACCENT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND BOTH WAYS WHEN THERE IS DIFFERENT COM OTHER THEN NORMAL POS RPT. THIS CAN CAUSE SECONDARY EMER SITUATION DEVELOPING IN A EMER SITUATION WITH POOR COM AND DELAYED CLRNC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.