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During preflight the captain discovered the fire warning lights were inoperative, but that the warning bell worked ok. Maintenance had installed the wrong detector box for the aircraft's fire system.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 179063 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199105 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sfo |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 179063 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
I picked up an aircraft from the inbound crew and when I tested the fire detection system, I got the bell but no warning lights in the fire handles. I had maintenance investigate the problem. They discovered that the wrong box had been installed earlier that day after another crew reported a faulty light on the fire control panel. Since the merger, my company has aircraft with type a and type B fire systems. The earlier mechanics had put the wrong manufacturer's box in this aircraft and it had flown 1 flight that way. If the crew had a fire, they would have heard the bell, but no lights would have come on and they would have had a tough time figuring out which engine or APU had the fire warning. It will be at least 1993 before all aircraft at this airline are type a systems. In the meantime, some fix needs to be implemented. The company doesn't see it as a big problem yet.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DURING PREFLT THE CAPT DISCOVERED THE FIRE WARNING LIGHTS WERE INOP, BUT THAT THE WARNING BELL WORKED OK. MAINTENANCE HAD INSTALLED THE WRONG DETECTOR BOX FOR THE ACFT'S FIRE SYSTEM.
Narrative: I PICKED UP AN ACFT FROM THE INBND CREW AND WHEN I TESTED THE FIRE DETECTION SYS, I GOT THE BELL BUT NO WARNING LIGHTS IN THE FIRE HANDLES. I HAD MAINT INVESTIGATE THE PROB. THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE WRONG BOX HAD BEEN INSTALLED EARLIER THAT DAY AFTER ANOTHER CREW RPTED A FAULTY LIGHT ON THE FIRE CTL PANEL. SINCE THE MERGER, MY COMPANY HAS ACFT WITH TYPE A AND TYPE B FIRE SYSTEMS. THE EARLIER MECHS HAD PUT THE WRONG MANUFACTURER'S BOX IN THIS ACFT AND IT HAD FLOWN 1 FLT THAT WAY. IF THE CREW HAD A FIRE, THEY WOULD HAVE HEARD THE BELL, BUT NO LIGHTS WOULD HAVE COME ON AND THEY WOULD HAVE HAD A TOUGH TIME FIGURING OUT WHICH ENG OR APU HAD THE FIRE WARNING. IT WILL BE AT LEAST 1993 BEFORE ALL ACFT AT THIS AIRLINE ARE TYPE A SYSTEMS. IN THE MEANTIME, SOME FIX NEEDS TO BE IMPLEMENTED. THE COMPANY DOESN'T SEE IT AS A BIG PROB YET.
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.