Commuter aircraft has engine fire light illuminate on climb. Unable to fire extinguisher bottle. Eng...

Attributes
ACN	230873
Time
Date	199301
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial other other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1185
ASRS Report	230873
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On climbing through 4000 ft after departing miami international, the right fire indication light illuminated. Captain was flying and called for shutdown checklist. We called ATC to instruct them we needed to return to mia and proceeded to secure engine. We followed checklist as in aircraft manual shutdown procedure. Still had indication so we fired bottle! It did not fire. At this point the circuit breaker for extinguisher popped, we reset it and tried again to fire bottle with no luck. Circuit breaker popped again. The entire time we kept monitoring engine visually and it appeared to be ok. No fire! At this point we thought of the possibilities of an indication problem, rather than engine fire. At any rate we advised ATC the nature of problem, that we had fire indication and we had shut down engine, number of passenger/pertinent information. Declared emergency and were returning to mia. We advised passenger of the problem, told them we thought it was probably only indication problem but it was necessary to proceed back to mia to land. We again briefed for evacuate/evacuation procedures only on our command to evacuate/evacuation if indeed fire. We returned for landing in mia with no further incident and landed safely in mia! Maintenance confirmed electrical indication problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT HAS ENG FIRE LIGHT ILLUMINATE ON CLB. UNABLE TO FIRE EXTINGUISHER BOTTLE. ENG SHUTDOWN. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: ON CLBING THROUGH 4000 FT AFTER DEPARTING MIAMI INTL, THE R FIRE INDICATION LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CAPT WAS FLYING AND CALLED FOR SHUTDOWN CHKLIST. WE CALLED ATC TO INSTRUCT THEM WE NEEDED TO RETURN TO MIA AND PROCEEDED TO SECURE ENG. WE FOLLOWED CHKLIST AS IN ACFT MANUAL SHUTDOWN PROC. STILL HAD INDICATION SO WE FIRED BOTTLE! IT DID NOT FIRE. AT THIS POINT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR EXTINGUISHER POPPED, WE RESET IT AND TRIED AGAIN TO FIRE BOTTLE WITH NO LUCK. CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED AGAIN. THE ENTIRE TIME WE KEPT MONITORING ENG VISUALLY AND IT APPEARED TO BE OK. NO FIRE! AT THIS POINT WE THOUGHT OF THE POSSIBILITIES OF AN INDICATION PROB, RATHER THAN ENG FIRE. AT ANY RATE WE ADVISED ATC THE NATURE OF PROB, THAT WE HAD FIRE INDICATION AND WE HAD SHUT DOWN ENG, NUMBER OF PAX/PERTINENT INFO. DECLARED EMER AND WERE RETURNING TO MIA. WE ADVISED PAX OF THE PROB, TOLD THEM WE THOUGHT IT WAS PROBABLY ONLY INDICATION PROB BUT IT WAS NECESSARY TO PROCEED BACK TO MIA TO LAND. WE AGAIN BRIEFED FOR EVAC PROCS ONLY ON OUR COMMAND TO EVAC IF INDEED FIRE. WE RETURNED FOR LNDG IN MIA WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT AND LANDED SAFELY IN MIA! MAINT CONFIRMED ELECTRICAL INDICATION PROB.

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.

Commuter aircraft has engine fire light illuminate on climb. Unable to fire extinguisher bottle. Engine shutdown. Return land.