Narrative:

Upon taxiing out at dtw a right engine fire detection 1 loop fault illuminated. Cockpit operations manual procedures did not resolve the problem. I contacted dispatch, maintenance and it was MEL'd to proceed to phx. Climbing through 8000-9000 ft, the right engine fire loop light illuminated with a continuous repetitive chime, indicating an engine fire. The right throttle was retarded and the continuous repetitive chime indications stopped. I instructed the first officer to communicate the problem, plus would fly and handle the communications with ATC and the passenger. I requested a vector back to dtw and was on the way back in short order. I didn't declare an emergency, because in my judgement it was an indication problem and not a true fire. Landing uneventful. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: after the right engine detection 'a' loop fault illuminated on taxi out, reporter captain contacted his company maintenance who walked him through the procedure to correct the problem. Resetting circuit breakers was part of the procedure. The problem appeared to be corrected, their company dispatch sent a release and they departed. Shortly after takeoff the continuous repetitive chime sounded accompanied by the engine fire loop light. The throttle was reduced to idle and warnings went out, but advancing the throttles brought them back on, so reporter captain had the first officer shut down the engine with the appropriate checklist. Reporter had no difficulty with flying the aircraft with the engine shut down, coordinated with approach control and tower to an uneventful landing. Though reporter had not declared an emergency, the ground emergency crew and equipment were standing by, presumably having been notified by the tower. Post flight inspection of the engine revealed a grounded loop circuitry so the warning was not an actual fire, but faulty circuit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. ENG FIRE WARNING. ENG SHUTDOWN AND ACFT RETURNED FOR LNDG.

Narrative: UPON TAXIING OUT AT DTW A R ENG FIRE DETECTION 1 LOOP FAULT ILLUMINATED. COCKPIT OPS MANUAL PROCS DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROB. I CONTACTED DISPATCH, MAINT AND IT WAS MEL'D TO PROCEED TO PHX. CLBING THROUGH 8000-9000 FT, THE R ENG FIRE LOOP LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITH A CONTINUOUS REPETITIVE CHIME, INDICATING AN ENG FIRE. THE R THROTTLE WAS RETARDED AND THE CONTINUOUS REPETITIVE CHIME INDICATIONS STOPPED. I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO COMMUNICATE THE PROB, PLUS WOULD FLY AND HANDLE THE COMS WITH ATC AND THE PAX. I REQUESTED A VECTOR BACK TO DTW AND WAS ON THE WAY BACK IN SHORT ORDER. I DIDN'T DECLARE AN EMER, BECAUSE IN MY JUDGEMENT IT WAS AN INDICATION PROB AND NOT A TRUE FIRE. LNDG UNEVENTFUL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AFTER THE R ENG DETECTION 'A' LOOP FAULT ILLUMINATED ON TAXI OUT, RPTR CAPT CONTACTED HIS COMPANY MAINT WHO WALKED HIM THROUGH THE PROC TO CORRECT THE PROB. RESETTING CIRCUIT BREAKERS WAS PART OF THE PROC. THE PROB APPEARED TO BE CORRECTED, THEIR COMPANY DISPATCH SENT A RELEASE AND THEY DEPARTED. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF THE CONTINUOUS REPETITIVE CHIME SOUNDED ACCOMPANIED BY THE ENG FIRE LOOP LIGHT. THE THROTTLE WAS REDUCED TO IDLE AND WARNINGS WENT OUT, BUT ADVANCING THE THROTTLES BROUGHT THEM BACK ON, SO RPTR CAPT HAD THE FO SHUT DOWN THE ENG WITH THE APPROPRIATE CHKLIST. RPTR HAD NO DIFFICULTY WITH FLYING THE ACFT WITH THE ENG SHUT DOWN, COORDINATED WITH APCH CTL AND TWR TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. THOUGH RPTR HAD NOT DECLARED AN EMER, THE GND EMER CREW AND EQUIP WERE STANDING BY, PRESUMABLY HAVING BEEN NOTIFIED BY THE TWR. POST FLT INSPECTION OF THE ENG REVEALED A GNDED LOOP CIRCUITRY SO THE WARNING WAS NOT AN ACTUAL FIRE, BUT FAULTY CIRCUIT.

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.