Flight crew of small transport jet had left engine fire light illuminate. Reducing throttle to idle ...

Attributes
ACN	172105
Time
Date	199103
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mol
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 38500 msl bound upper : 39000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc tower : cvg
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 129 flight time total : 4364 flight time type : 2669
ASRS Report	172105
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : regained aircraft control other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 29000 vertical : 1500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We departed phl for mor. We were in phl due to an emergency diversion from the previous evening. That diversion was due to a left engine fire light illumination. Our company sent a mechanic to repair an apparent bleed air leak. The aircraft was thoroughly checked and signed off for return to service. Climb out and the initial cruise phases of flts were normal. All engine indications were nominal. In fact, I had just completed making a set of engine readings when the left fire light illuminated. We were flying at FL390. I checked the egt, it did not indicate any deviation from normal. However, if the problem was a bleed air problem it would not. I brought the engine back to idle. After about 30 seconds the light went out. I brought the power back up to about 88 percent. After about 5 mins the light came back on. Knowing that the aircraft cannot maintain FL390 on one engine, I requested lower altitude. ATC replied that due to opp direction traffic at FL370 it would be 15 mi before I could get lower. With the left engine at idle and trying to maintain FL390 the airspeed was decreasing rapidly. I requested a vector for lower. ATC replied that they were unable. I told them I had a problem and had to descend. They finally gave us a 90 degree right turn and a descent. I immediately executed this. At this time the fire light was still on. ATC inquired if our problem was pressurization. I told them that the problem was a light on our annunciator panel which required us to idle the engine. He informed us that due to the violation of sep criteria we would be required to make a statement on the ground. He gave us no telephone number to call. Nor did he give us any other instructions on who to call. We continued to our destination (our home base) with the left engine at idle and using a slow descent to maintain speed to cool the engine. We landed west/O incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF SMT JET HAD LEFT ENGINE FIRE LIGHT ILLUMINATE. REDUCING THROTTLE TO IDLE CAUSED LIGHT TO GO OUT. FLC UABLE TO MAINTAIN FL390. IN SLOW DESCENT FLC HAD TRAFFIC CONFLICT WITH TRAFFIC AT FL370 BEFORE RECEIVING CLRNC TO TURN 90 DEG AND DESCEND.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED PHL FOR MOR. WE WERE IN PHL DUE TO AN EMER DIVERSION FROM THE PREVIOUS EVENING. THAT DIVERSION WAS DUE TO A L ENG FIRE LIGHT ILLUMINATION. OUR COMPANY SENT A MECH TO REPAIR AN APPARENT BLEED AIR LEAK. THE ACFT WAS THOROUGHLY CHKED AND SIGNED OFF FOR RETURN TO SVC. CLB OUT AND THE INITIAL CRUISE PHASES OF FLTS WERE NORMAL. ALL ENG INDICATIONS WERE NOMINAL. IN FACT, I HAD JUST COMPLETED MAKING A SET OF ENG READINGS WHEN THE L FIRE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WE WERE FLYING AT FL390. I CHKED THE EGT, IT DID NOT INDICATE ANY DEV FROM NORMAL. HOWEVER, IF THE PROB WAS A BLEED AIR PROB IT WOULD NOT. I BROUGHT THE ENG BACK TO IDLE. AFTER ABOUT 30 SECS THE LIGHT WENT OUT. I BROUGHT THE PWR BACK UP TO ABOUT 88 PERCENT. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINS THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. KNOWING THAT THE ACFT CANNOT MAINTAIN FL390 ON ONE ENG, I REQUESTED LOWER ALT. ATC REPLIED THAT DUE TO OPP DIRECTION TFC AT FL370 IT WOULD BE 15 MI BEFORE I COULD GET LOWER. WITH THE L ENG AT IDLE AND TRYING TO MAINTAIN FL390 THE AIRSPD WAS DECREASING RAPIDLY. I REQUESTED A VECTOR FOR LOWER. ATC REPLIED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE. I TOLD THEM I HAD A PROB AND HAD TO DSND. THEY FINALLY GAVE US A 90 DEG R TURN AND A DSNT. I IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED THIS. AT THIS TIME THE FIRE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. ATC INQUIRED IF OUR PROB WAS PRESSURIZATION. I TOLD THEM THAT THE PROB WAS A LIGHT ON OUR ANNUNCIATOR PANEL WHICH REQUIRED US TO IDLE THE ENG. HE INFORMED US THAT DUE TO THE VIOLATION OF SEP CRITERIA WE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO MAKE A STATEMENT ON THE GND. HE GAVE US NO TELEPHONE NUMBER TO CALL. NOR DID HE GIVE US ANY OTHER INSTRUCTIONS ON WHO TO CALL. WE CONTINUED TO OUR DEST (OUR HOME BASE) WITH THE L ENG AT IDLE AND USING A SLOW DSNT TO MAINTAIN SPD TO COOL THE ENG. WE LANDED W/O INCIDENT.

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.

Flight crew of small transport jet had left engine fire light illuminate. Reducing throttle to idle caused light to go out. Flight crew uable to maintain FL390. In slow descent flight crew had traffic conflict with traffic at FL370 before receiving clearance to turn 90 degree and descend.