Narrative:

During cruise we got an engine overheat light on #1 engine. After the first officer completed the checklist the light went out. After several mins the light came back on, followed shortly by a fire loop fault light. We got clearance to divert to las while completing engine overheat checklist and fault light checklist. Before both checklists were finished we got a fire light and bell on #1 engine. We declared an emergency, completed fire/severe damage checklist. We fired both extinguisher bottles as light would not go out. We landed in las without further problems. Fire trucks reported no evidence of smoke or fire and we taxied to the gate where mechanics confirmed a short in the #1 engine fire detection system. From start of problems to landing was less than 15 mins. After overheat light first came and went out, I had copilot fly while I got a hold of company. While I was talking to them, further problems developed, so I directed him to continue to fly to las. We had a jumpseat pilot and I directed him to make a PA to the passenger advising of the diversion, after which he handled ATC communications. I completed checklists kept an eye on aircraft position and talked to the 'a' flight attendant. After the second bottle had been fired, the flight attendants mentioned they never saw any smoke or fire from the engine, which further convinced me we had a malfunction of the fire detection system, since the fire light stayed on the entire time from initial bell to the gate. CRM training can take full credit for the uneventful completion of this flight. Without the help of all 3 pilots and 3 flight attendants working as a team we would have had to delay landing to complete checklists and communications or landing without checklists being completed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. ENG OVERHEAT, FIRE LOOP FAULT, FIRE LIGHT AND WARNING BELL WHILE IN CRUISE. FLC COMPLETED CHKLISTS, SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND FIRED EXTINGUISHER BOTTLES. EMER DECLARED AND FLT DIVERTED TO LAS. POST LNDG INSPECTION FOUND SHORT IN FIRE DETECTION CIRCUIT.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE WE GOT AN ENG OVERHEAT LIGHT ON #1 ENG. AFTER THE FO COMPLETED THE CHKLIST THE LIGHT WENT OUT. AFTER SEVERAL MINS THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON, FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY A FIRE LOOP FAULT LIGHT. WE GOT CLRNC TO DIVERT TO LAS WHILE COMPLETING ENG OVERHEAT CHKLIST AND FAULT LIGHT CHKLIST. BEFORE BOTH CHKLISTS WERE FINISHED WE GOT A FIRE LIGHT AND BELL ON #1 ENG. WE DECLARED AN EMER, COMPLETED FIRE/SEVERE DAMAGE CHKLIST. WE FIRED BOTH EXTINGUISHER BOTTLES AS LIGHT WOULD NOT GO OUT. WE LANDED IN LAS WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS. FIRE TRUCKS RPTED NO EVIDENCE OF SMOKE OR FIRE AND WE TAXIED TO THE GATE WHERE MECHS CONFIRMED A SHORT IN THE #1 ENG FIRE DETECTION SYS. FROM START OF PROBS TO LNDG WAS LESS THAN 15 MINS. AFTER OVERHEAT LIGHT FIRST CAME AND WENT OUT, I HAD COPLT FLY WHILE I GOT A HOLD OF COMPANY. WHILE I WAS TALKING TO THEM, FURTHER PROBS DEVELOPED, SO I DIRECTED HIM TO CONTINUE TO FLY TO LAS. WE HAD A JUMPSEAT PLT AND I DIRECTED HIM TO MAKE A PA TO THE PAX ADVISING OF THE DIVERSION, AFTER WHICH HE HANDLED ATC COMS. I COMPLETED CHKLISTS KEPT AN EYE ON ACFT POS AND TALKED TO THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT. AFTER THE SECOND BOTTLE HAD BEEN FIRED, THE FLT ATTENDANTS MENTIONED THEY NEVER SAW ANY SMOKE OR FIRE FROM THE ENG, WHICH FURTHER CONVINCED ME WE HAD A MALFUNCTION OF THE FIRE DETECTION SYS, SINCE THE FIRE LIGHT STAYED ON THE ENTIRE TIME FROM INITIAL BELL TO THE GATE. CRM TRAINING CAN TAKE FULL CREDIT FOR THE UNEVENTFUL COMPLETION OF THIS FLT. WITHOUT THE HELP OF ALL 3 PLTS AND 3 FLT ATTENDANTS WORKING AS A TEAM WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO DELAY LNDG TO COMPLETE CHKLISTS AND COMS OR LNDG WITHOUT CHKLISTS BEING COMPLETED.

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.