Engine fire warning light activating shortly after takeoff motivated flight crew to return and land....

Attributes
ACN	182262
Time
Date	199106
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mci
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mci
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 224 flight time total : 7150 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	182262
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

The crew that flew the aircraft into wichita had an adl entry (see attached sheet) of a fire warning light illuminating briefly for the left engine. When I returned to the ramp after the extended break, the cowling was off both sides of the left engine and a mechanic was in the captain seat working on the annunciator panel. The left engine fire light briefly came on upon departure of flight at mci. The copilot was the PF. We departed runway 19 at mci. The light illuminated on climb out just after takeoff as we were turning to an assigned heading of 230 degrees. I alerted the copilot of this and advised tower that we would need to return to the airport for landing. Tower said to make a right downwind for 19. The PF (copilot) asked for 9 and was approved. He then completed a 270 degree turn and landed on 9. The tower asked if we needed the men and equipment. I advised that it was not necessary. When the light came on I immediately and continuously monitored the engine instruments and engine itself for any signs of malfunction; there were none. Concurrently, the copilot reduced power on the left engine and very soon the light went out while maneuvering for landing. Throughout this busy time the tower controller questioned us re: the nature of the problem. I advised that an annunciator light required us to return to our gate. After repeated queries, the copilot advised tower we would discuss it once on the ground. As we were taxiing after landing, I responded to yet another query by saying it had been a left engine fire annunciator light. Upon returning to the gate, the mechanics replaced one of the 4 fire sensors and repaired a wire from another (see attached sheet). We then completed flight mci-ict west/O incident. I felt the situation was handled effectively; however, 3 days later the chief pilot advised that the FAA regional office needed a report as to why I did not declare an emergency.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENGINE FIRE WARNING LIGHT ACTIVATING SHORTLY AFTER TKOF MOTIVATED FLT CREW TO RETURN AND LAND. FAA INVESTIGATING WHY FLT CREW DID NOT DECLARE EMERGENCY.

Narrative: THE CREW THAT FLEW THE ACFT INTO WICHITA HAD AN ADL ENTRY (SEE ATTACHED SHEET) OF A FIRE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATING BRIEFLY FOR THE LEFT ENG. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE RAMP AFTER THE EXTENDED BREAK, THE COWLING WAS OFF BOTH SIDES OF THE LEFT ENG AND A MECH WAS IN THE CAPT SEAT WORKING ON THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL. THE LEFT ENG FIRE LIGHT BRIEFLY CAME ON UPON DEP OF FLT AT MCI. THE COPLT WAS THE PF. WE DEPARTED RWY 19 AT MCI. THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON CLBOUT JUST AFTER TKOF AS WE WERE TURNING TO AN ASSIGNED HDG OF 230 DEGS. I ALERTED THE COPLT OF THIS AND ADVISED TWR THAT WE WOULD NEED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT FOR LNDG. TWR SAID TO MAKE A RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR 19. THE PF (COPLT) ASKED FOR 9 AND WAS APPROVED. HE THEN COMPLETED A 270 DEG TURN AND LANDED ON 9. THE TWR ASKED IF WE NEEDED THE MEN AND EQUIP. I ADVISED THAT IT WAS NOT NECESSARY. WHEN THE LIGHT CAME ON I IMMEDIATELY AND CONTINUOUSLY MONITORED THE ENG INSTRUMENTS AND ENG ITSELF FOR ANY SIGNS OF MALFUNCTION; THERE WERE NONE. CONCURRENTLY, THE COPLT REDUCED PWR ON THE LEFT ENG AND VERY SOON THE LIGHT WENT OUT WHILE MANEUVERING FOR LNDG. THROUGHOUT THIS BUSY TIME THE TWR CTLR QUESTIONED US RE: THE NATURE OF THE PROB. I ADVISED THAT AN ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT REQUIRED US TO RETURN TO OUR GATE. AFTER REPEATED QUERIES, THE COPLT ADVISED TWR WE WOULD DISCUSS IT ONCE ON THE GND. AS WE WERE TAXIING AFTER LNDG, I RESPONDED TO YET ANOTHER QUERY BY SAYING IT HAD BEEN A LEFT ENG FIRE ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT. UPON RETURNING TO THE GATE, THE MECHS REPLACED ONE OF THE 4 FIRE SENSORS AND REPAIRED A WIRE FROM ANOTHER (SEE ATTACHED SHEET). WE THEN COMPLETED FLT MCI-ICT W/O INCIDENT. I FELT THE SITUATION WAS HANDLED EFFECTIVELY; HOWEVER, 3 DAYS LATER THE CHIEF PLT ADVISED THAT THE FAA REGIONAL OFFICE NEEDED A RPT AS TO WHY I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER.

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.

Engine fire warning light activating shortly after takeoff motivated flight crew to return and land. FAA investigating why flight crew did not declare emergency.