An air carrier widebody transport crew returned and landed after a false fire warning indication.

Attributes
ACN	234378
Time
Date	199302
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax tower : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial landing other other
Route In Use	approach : visual departure other departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	234378
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	234285
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After takeoff with aircraft clean 5 NM west lax runway 25R, initial fire indication on #1 engine. Fire handle illuminated with fire bell. Indication stopped. Indications again. Throttle retarded, indications stopped. Indications again. Engine shutdown with fuel lever and fire handle. When fire handle was rotated to discharge fire bottle, no fire agent discharge light illuminated. Handle rotated again with still no agent discharge. Emergency terminated uneventfully with VFR landing at lax runway 25L. No emergency evacuate/evacuation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting first officer states that there was no fire. One of the engine fire detection loops was inoperative prior to takeoff, but the aircraft was legal to fly as the other loop tested properly. The 'good' loop must have failed in the air. Mechanics said that the engine shutdown handle was not properly 'grooved' so that it would not make contact when it was turned to discharge either fire bottle. After several operations in the hangar, the system worked ok. The reporting first officer said that he tried both bottles. They did not work, and that was enough for him as there was no longer a fire indication.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR WDB CREW RETURNED AND LANDED AFTER A FALSE FIRE WARNING INDICATION.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF WITH ACFT CLEAN 5 NM W LAX RWY 25R, INITIAL FIRE INDICATION ON #1 ENG. FIRE HANDLE ILLUMINATED WITH FIRE BELL. INDICATION STOPPED. INDICATIONS AGAIN. THROTTLE RETARDED, INDICATIONS STOPPED. INDICATIONS AGAIN. ENG SHUTDOWN WITH FUEL LEVER AND FIRE HANDLE. WHEN FIRE HANDLE WAS ROTATED TO DISCHARGE FIRE BOTTLE, NO FIRE AGENT DISCHARGE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. HANDLE ROTATED AGAIN WITH STILL NO AGENT DISCHARGE. EMER TERMINATED UNEVENTFULLY WITH VFR LNDG AT LAX RWY 25L. NO EMER EVAC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING FO STATES THAT THERE WAS NO FIRE. ONE OF THE ENG FIRE DETECTION LOOPS WAS INOP PRIOR TO TKOF, BUT THE ACFT WAS LEGAL TO FLY AS THE OTHER LOOP TESTED PROPERLY. THE 'GOOD' LOOP MUST HAVE FAILED IN THE AIR. MECHS SAID THAT THE ENG SHUTDOWN HANDLE WAS NOT PROPERLY 'GROOVED' SO THAT IT WOULD NOT MAKE CONTACT WHEN IT WAS TURNED TO DISCHARGE EITHER FIRE BOTTLE. AFTER SEVERAL OPS IN THE HANGAR, THE SYS WORKED OK. THE RPTING FO SAID THAT HE TRIED BOTH BOTTLES. THEY DID NOT WORK, AND THAT WAS ENOUGH FOR HIM AS THERE WAS NO LONGER A FIRE INDICATION.

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.