Narrative:

The aircraft had MEL for b-loop engine fire detection in maintenance logbook. After departure, the first officer called on company radio. I got maintenance control on the frequency. The first officer said they had gotten fire warning caution light for engine 1 (with the MEL) and had pulled the power back. The indication went out and all other engine indications were normal. Maintenance control checked the history and found a prior write-up for the indicator. The crew, maintenance control and dispatch decided from that information that continuation of flight was safe. Upon landing, the captain called to discuss the situation. He said a mechanic had checked the engine and would not sign it off. At that time he told me they had declared an emergency while holding after takeoff. Had I known this, I would have sent the flight back to sfo. As it was, the engine indications were all within normal parameters. The captain did say the nacelle temperature for engine 1 was a little higher than #2 but still within normal limits. Maintenance control feels there is a hot bleed air leak causing the indication. Supplemental information from acn 291859: on climb, out of 9000 ft, received #1 engine fire warning. Declared emergency. Retarded thrust lever to idle, warning stopped and ECAM procedures disappeared. Dispatch and maintenance confirmed previous write-up for exact same thing, confirmed loop B fire detect inoperative and had given warning in error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FALSE ENG FIRE WARNING.

Narrative: THE ACFT HAD MEL FOR B-LOOP ENG FIRE DETECTION IN MAINT LOGBOOK. AFTER DEP, THE FO CALLED ON COMPANY RADIO. I GOT MAINT CTL ON THE FREQ. THE FO SAID THEY HAD GOTTEN FIRE WARNING CAUTION LIGHT FOR ENG 1 (WITH THE MEL) AND HAD PULLED THE PWR BACK. THE INDICATION WENT OUT AND ALL OTHER ENG INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. MAINT CTL CHKED THE HISTORY AND FOUND A PRIOR WRITE-UP FOR THE INDICATOR. THE CREW, MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH DECIDED FROM THAT INFO THAT CONTINUATION OF FLT WAS SAFE. UPON LNDG, THE CAPT CALLED TO DISCUSS THE SIT. HE SAID A MECH HAD CHKED THE ENG AND WOULD NOT SIGN IT OFF. AT THAT TIME HE TOLD ME THEY HAD DECLARED AN EMER WHILE HOLDING AFTER TKOF. HAD I KNOWN THIS, I WOULD HAVE SENT THE FLT BACK TO SFO. AS IT WAS, THE ENG INDICATIONS WERE ALL WITHIN NORMAL PARAMETERS. THE CAPT DID SAY THE NACELLE TEMP FOR ENG 1 WAS A LITTLE HIGHER THAN #2 BUT STILL WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS. MAINT CTL FEELS THERE IS A HOT BLEED AIR LEAK CAUSING THE INDICATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 291859: ON CLB, OUT OF 9000 FT, RECEIVED #1 ENG FIRE WARNING. DECLARED EMER. RETARDED THRUST LEVER TO IDLE, WARNING STOPPED AND ECAM PROCS DISAPPEARED. DISPATCH AND MAINT CONFIRMED PREVIOUS WRITE-UP FOR EXACT SAME THING, CONFIRMED LOOP B FIRE DETECT INOP AND HAD GIVEN WARNING IN ERROR.

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.