Narrative:

At cruise, the left engine overheat light illuminated. Published procedures were used. The engine would produce 1.68 EPR without the overheat light coming on. This was slightly below cruise thrust. Therefore, thrust was increased on right engine to maintain cruise airspeed. The flight was continued to destination without any further problem. This was a 2 engine aircraft and, after landing and looking back over the situation, I was not 100 percent sure how this should have been treated. The engine had not lost thrust or at least it was still capable of producing full thrust. Therefore, I did not treat it as a loss of thrust and land at the nearest suitable airport. This is a gray area to me and I feel it should be addressed in training.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG CAPT QUESTIONS HIS DECISION TO CONTINUE AFTER 1 OF HIS 2 ENGS DEVELOPS AN ENG OVERHEAT SIT.

Narrative: AT CRUISE, THE L ENG OVERHEAT LIGHT ILLUMINATED. PUBLISHED PROCS WERE USED. THE ENG WOULD PRODUCE 1.68 EPR WITHOUT THE OVERHEAT LIGHT COMING ON. THIS WAS SLIGHTLY BELOW CRUISE THRUST. THEREFORE, THRUST WAS INCREASED ON R ENG TO MAINTAIN CRUISE AIRSPD. THE FLT WAS CONTINUED TO DEST WITHOUT ANY FURTHER PROB. THIS WAS A 2 ENG ACFT AND, AFTER LNDG AND LOOKING BACK OVER THE SIT, I WAS NOT 100 PERCENT SURE HOW THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN TREATED. THE ENG HAD NOT LOST THRUST OR AT LEAST IT WAS STILL CAPABLE OF PRODUCING FULL THRUST. THEREFORE, I DID NOT TREAT IT AS A LOSS OF THRUST AND LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. THIS IS A GRAY AREA TO ME AND I FEEL IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN TRAINING.

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.