Narrative:

After being cleared for the 27L ILS approach into O'hare (3-4 mi outside the marker) the engine #2 fire warning illuminated with associated attention getter, bells, we performed the engine fire in flight procedure. The light did not go out. We notified ATC of the problem and requested crash fire rescue equipment. We landed, cleared the runway and deplaned the aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. There are only 10 of these aircraft in the USA. At the time, all in possession of this commuter air carrier. The major problem with the aircraft is a series of false fire warnings randomly going off in all phases of flight. Reporter stated that the warnings even go off at the gate with engines shut down. In those cases management has advised pilots not to fire the bottles. This gives the crews a difficult decision with the left engine as the jetway blocks their visual check of the engine. Maintenance reports have been sent to management with no feed back on this situation. Engine manufacturer reps have ridden with the air carrier to determine if any flight crew operating procedures are involved. It appears that the engine intakes also have a tendency to ice up and the aircraft have to maintain continuous in flight ignition when in IMC. In fact, due to spool down and reduced torque problems the ignition is now set to come on at any torque below 60 pounds. The airframe has problems as well. The bonding of the control surfaces to the frame is improper, creating static problems which impact upon the VHF communication radios. Now the EFIS flight instrument systems are being affected by the static which is blowing the EFIS panel circuits. Reporter said that the foreign manufacturer/user has loaned this one aircraft free for a year to air carrier. Some gift.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN AFTER ENG FIRE WARNING ACTIVATED. EMER DECLARED AS FALSE WARNING DOES NOT SUBSIDE ON LNDG.

Narrative: AFTER BEING CLRED FOR THE 27L ILS APCH INTO O'HARE (3-4 MI OUTSIDE THE MARKER) THE ENG #2 FIRE WARNING ILLUMINATED WITH ASSOCIATED ATTN GETTER, BELLS, WE PERFORMED THE ENG FIRE IN FLT PROC. THE LIGHT DID NOT GO OUT. WE NOTIFIED ATC OF THE PROBLEM AND REQUESTED CFR. WE LANDED, CLRED THE RWY AND DEPLANED THE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THERE ARE ONLY 10 OF THESE ACFT IN THE U.S.A. AT THE TIME, ALL IN POSSESSION OF THIS COMMUTER AIR CARRIER. THE MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE ACFT IS A SERIES OF FALSE FIRE WARNINGS RANDOMLY GOING OFF IN ALL PHASES OF FLT. RPTR STATED THAT THE WARNINGS EVEN GO OFF AT THE GATE WITH ENGS SHUT DOWN. IN THOSE CASES MGMNT HAS ADVISED PLTS NOT TO FIRE THE BOTTLES. THIS GIVES THE CREWS A DIFFICULT DECISION WITH THE L ENG AS THE JETWAY BLOCKS THEIR VISUAL CHK OF THE ENG. MAINT RPTS HAVE BEEN SENT TO MGMNT WITH NO FEED BACK ON THIS SITUATION. ENG MANUFACTURER REPS HAVE RIDDEN WITH THE ACR TO DETERMINE IF ANY FLC OPERATING PROCS ARE INVOLVED. IT APPEARS THAT THE ENG INTAKES ALSO HAVE A TENDENCY TO ICE UP AND THE ACFT HAVE TO MAINTAIN CONTINUOUS IN FLT IGNITION WHEN IN IMC. IN FACT, DUE TO SPOOL DOWN AND REDUCED TORQUE PROBLEMS THE IGNITION IS NOW SET TO COME ON AT ANY TORQUE BELOW 60 POUNDS. THE AIRFRAME HAS PROBLEMS AS WELL. THE BONDING OF THE CTL SURFACES TO THE FRAME IS IMPROPER, CREATING STATIC PROBLEMS WHICH IMPACT UPON THE VHF COM RADIOS. NOW THE EFIS FLT INST SYSTEMS ARE BEING AFFECTED BY THE STATIC WHICH IS BLOWING THE EFIS PANEL CIRCUITS. RPTR SAID THAT THE FOREIGN MANUFACTURER/USER HAS LOANED THIS ONE ACFT FREE FOR A YEAR TO ACR. SOME GIFT.

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.