Narrative:

Status of #4 engine at departure was: fire detection a-loop deferred, b-loop ok. Upon application of takeoff power, we had an intermittent fire warning light and bell. Takeoff was discontinued at about 60-70 KIAS. Light braking only was used. We returned to the gate and checked the brake cooling limits and found no problem involved. Maintenance repaired a-loop and deferred b-loop. For the next takeoff power was applied about 2 mins before osa curfew came into effect. Maximum takeoff thrust was used and a runway 32L noise abatement departure was started. Just before reaching the itami locator, at about 800' MSL, a loud bang was heard on the right side of the aircraft. With some airframe vibration #4 egt rose to maximum and #4 throttle was retarded. There was no fire warning. All at about the same time the aircraft was leveled at 1000' MSL. A left turn for noise abatement was started and the F/a at door 5R reported to the cockpit and all stations a fire in #4 engine. #4 fire procedure was executed and shortly thereafter the fire appeared to be out as reported by F/a at door 5R. Because of the lack of a fire warning at any time and our previous problems with the fire loops and because of the excellent visibility and flight conditions I elected to make an immediate overweight (638000 pounds) landing. We declared an emergency, requested fire equipment and were cleared to land. The final turn to the localizer was at about the OM 32L. Final checklist was completed and 30 degree flaps selected to reduce speed to minimum for landing. T/D at 1500' on runway. All 3 good engines used for reversing and braking moderate. Tower was checked for visible fire or smoke in gear or engine--none observed. We then taxied slowly to parking area. After parking and being chocked brakes were released and ground personnel directed to stay away from main gear area until cool. Subsequently 4 or 5 fuse plugs melted and the tires deflated. No injuries to passenger or crew. When tower was asked on landing whether they could see smoke or fire, and after they said no, they volunteered that they had seen the fire on takeoff. They never bothered to let us know! Unfortunately this attitude of never volunteering information until asked is quite typical of the far east operation. The carrier's C.left.right. (Command/leadership/resources) program was a great help in the short time we had available to get things done.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB ENGINE FIRE AFTER TKOF FROM OSA. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: STATUS OF #4 ENG AT DEP WAS: FIRE DETECTION A-LOOP DEFERRED, B-LOOP OK. UPON APPLICATION OF TKOF PWR, WE HAD AN INTERMITTENT FIRE WARNING LIGHT AND BELL. TKOF WAS DISCONTINUED AT ABOUT 60-70 KIAS. LIGHT BRAKING ONLY WAS USED. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE AND CHKED THE BRAKE COOLING LIMITS AND FOUND NO PROB INVOLVED. MAINT REPAIRED A-LOOP AND DEFERRED B-LOOP. FOR THE NEXT TKOF PWR WAS APPLIED ABOUT 2 MINS BEFORE OSA CURFEW CAME INTO EFFECT. MAX TKOF THRUST WAS USED AND A RWY 32L NOISE ABATEMENT DEP WAS STARTED. JUST BEFORE REACHING THE ITAMI LOCATOR, AT ABOUT 800' MSL, A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ACFT. WITH SOME AIRFRAME VIBRATION #4 EGT ROSE TO MAX AND #4 THROTTLE WAS RETARDED. THERE WAS NO FIRE WARNING. ALL AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE ACFT WAS LEVELED AT 1000' MSL. A LEFT TURN FOR NOISE ABATEMENT WAS STARTED AND THE F/A AT DOOR 5R RPTED TO THE COCKPIT AND ALL STATIONS A FIRE IN #4 ENG. #4 FIRE PROC WAS EXECUTED AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE FIRE APPEARED TO BE OUT AS RPTED BY F/A AT DOOR 5R. BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF A FIRE WARNING AT ANY TIME AND OUR PREVIOUS PROBS WITH THE FIRE LOOPS AND BECAUSE OF THE EXCELLENT VISIBILITY AND FLT CONDITIONS I ELECTED TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE OVERWT (638000 LBS) LNDG. WE DECLARED AN EMER, REQUESTED FIRE EQUIP AND WERE CLRED TO LAND. THE FINAL TURN TO THE LOC WAS AT ABOUT THE OM 32L. FINAL CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED AND 30 DEG FLAPS SELECTED TO REDUCE SPD TO MINIMUM FOR LNDG. T/D AT 1500' ON RWY. ALL 3 GOOD ENGS USED FOR REVERSING AND BRAKING MODERATE. TWR WAS CHKED FOR VISIBLE FIRE OR SMOKE IN GEAR OR ENG--NONE OBSERVED. WE THEN TAXIED SLOWLY TO PARKING AREA. AFTER PARKING AND BEING CHOCKED BRAKES WERE RELEASED AND GND PERSONNEL DIRECTED TO STAY AWAY FROM MAIN GEAR AREA UNTIL COOL. SUBSEQUENTLY 4 OR 5 FUSE PLUGS MELTED AND THE TIRES DEFLATED. NO INJURIES TO PAX OR CREW. WHEN TWR WAS ASKED ON LNDG WHETHER THEY COULD SEE SMOKE OR FIRE, AND AFTER THEY SAID NO, THEY VOLUNTEERED THAT THEY HAD SEEN THE FIRE ON TKOF. THEY NEVER BOTHERED TO LET US KNOW! UNFORTUNATELY THIS ATTITUDE OF NEVER VOLUNTEERING INFO UNTIL ASKED IS QUITE TYPICAL OF THE FAR EAST OPERATION. THE CARRIER'S C.L.R. (COMMAND/LEADERSHIP/RESOURCES) PROGRAM WAS A GREAT HELP IN THE SHORT TIME WE HAD AVAILABLE TO GET THINGS DONE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.