Narrative:

Upon initiating a positive climb at liftoff landing gear was retracted. At that time there was a master caution with an engine light illuminated on the central crew alerting panel. Review of all engine conditions revealed nothing. We informed msn departure that we had a maintenance indication and would like to hold VFR and check it out. Still unable to determine why we still had the light, we informed departure we would like to hold on a radial of msn VOR while we talked with our company. Maintenance through relay with sta maintenance asked us to confirm 'no abnormal engine conditions.' we did. He said to 'bring it on back to stl.' we disagreed and said that we would not unless he could explain what could be causing the caution. He said he couldn't, that it was probably an erroneous light. We elected to return to msn and write up the aircraft. Upon landing captain was instructed to call tower. The FAA was on the phone to talk to the captain. The FAA (milwaukee) then came to msn and started an incident report. The aviation maintenance inspector said that since we flew around for so long (37 mins) investigating the problem, that we drew some suspicion. Come to find out from msn tower, their FSDO had instructed them to call any time an aircraft has a maintenance problem causing a return to the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER MDT GOT A FALSE WARNING ON MASTER WARNING PANEL AFTER TKOF FROM MSN. PIC ELECTED TO RETURN TO MSN INSTEAD OF PROCEEDING TO STL AS RECOMMENDED BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE.

Narrative: UPON INITIATING A POSITIVE CLB AT LIFTOFF LNDG GEAR WAS RETRACTED. AT THAT TIME THERE WAS A MASTER CAUTION WITH AN ENG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE CENTRAL CREW ALERTING PANEL. REVIEW OF ALL ENG CONDITIONS REVEALED NOTHING. WE INFORMED MSN DEP THAT WE HAD A MAINT INDICATION AND WOULD LIKE TO HOLD VFR AND CHK IT OUT. STILL UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHY WE STILL HAD THE LIGHT, WE INFORMED DEP WE WOULD LIKE TO HOLD ON A RADIAL OF MSN VOR WHILE WE TALKED WITH OUR COMPANY. MAINT THROUGH RELAY WITH STA MAINT ASKED US TO CONFIRM 'NO ABNORMAL ENG CONDITIONS.' WE DID. HE SAID TO 'BRING IT ON BACK TO STL.' WE DISAGREED AND SAID THAT WE WOULD NOT UNLESS HE COULD EXPLAIN WHAT COULD BE CAUSING THE CAUTION. HE SAID HE COULDN'T, THAT IT WAS PROBABLY AN ERRONEOUS LIGHT. WE ELECTED TO RETURN TO MSN AND WRITE UP THE ACFT. UPON LNDG CAPT WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL TWR. THE FAA WAS ON THE PHONE TO TALK TO THE CAPT. THE FAA (MILWAUKEE) THEN CAME TO MSN AND STARTED AN INCIDENT RPT. THE AVIATION MAINT INSPECTOR SAID THAT SINCE WE FLEW AROUND FOR SO LONG (37 MINS) INVESTIGATING THE PROB, THAT WE DREW SOME SUSPICION. COME TO FIND OUT FROM MSN TWR, THEIR FSDO HAD INSTRUCTED THEM TO CALL ANY TIME AN ACFT HAS A MAINT PROB CAUSING A RETURN TO THE GATE.

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.