Narrative:

Just after liftoff our #3 engine fire handle light illuminated and the fire bell sounded. As soon as start lever was put in cutoff, all fire warnings went out. I was the PNF, so I told departure about our #3 engine, and that we wanted vectors back to runway 29 for the ILS and that we wanted emergency equipment standing by. They offered us a 10 mi final if we would go to 3000 ft, we were assigned 2000 ft initially and turned to downwind heading. We accepted 3000 ft and climbed to that. We intercepted final about 10 mi out, and shortly thereafter started our descent to oak. About 30 seconds later, the controller cleared us for the visual. I don't remember being cleared for visual prior to that, so we should not have been starting down. We were down to about 2500 ft when cleared for visual. Since WX was good VFR and the controller said he was going to give us a visual, I think we just assumed we had been cleared since we were busy doing all appropriate checklists. The whole event was without incident except for possibly starting down too early. Landing and taxi in to ramp normal. We probably should also have stated that we were 'declaring an emergency' but our request for emergency equipment and that an engine had failed got the point across.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A WDB ACR ACFT HAD A FIRE WARNING ON 1 OF THEIR 4 ENGS AND SHUT OFF ENG CAUSING FIRE WARNING TO GO OFF. THE FLT RETURNED TO LAND WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT.

Narrative: JUST AFTER LIFTOFF OUR #3 ENG FIRE HANDLE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE FIRE BELL SOUNDED. AS SOON AS START LEVER WAS PUT IN CUTOFF, ALL FIRE WARNINGS WENT OUT. I WAS THE PNF, SO I TOLD DEP ABOUT OUR #3 ENG, AND THAT WE WANTED VECTORS BACK TO RWY 29 FOR THE ILS AND THAT WE WANTED EMER EQUIP STANDING BY. THEY OFFERED US A 10 MI FINAL IF WE WOULD GO TO 3000 FT, WE WERE ASSIGNED 2000 FT INITIALLY AND TURNED TO DOWNWIND HDG. WE ACCEPTED 3000 FT AND CLBED TO THAT. WE INTERCEPTED FINAL ABOUT 10 MI OUT, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER STARTED OUR DSCNT TO OAK. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER, THE CTLR CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL. I DON'T REMEMBER BEING CLRED FOR VISUAL PRIOR TO THAT, SO WE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN STARTING DOWN. WE WERE DOWN TO ABOUT 2500 FT WHEN CLRED FOR VISUAL. SINCE WX WAS GOOD VFR AND THE CTLR SAID HE WAS GOING TO GIVE US A VISUAL, I THINK WE JUST ASSUMED WE HAD BEEN CLRED SINCE WE WERE BUSY DOING ALL APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS. THE WHOLE EVENT WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT EXCEPT FOR POSSIBLY STARTING DOWN TOO EARLY. LNDG AND TAXI IN TO RAMP NORMAL. WE PROBABLY SHOULD ALSO HAVE STATED THAT WE WERE 'DECLARING AN EMER' BUT OUR REQUEST FOR EMER EQUIP AND THAT AN ENG HAD FAILED GOT THE POINT ACROSS.

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.