Narrative:

After departing dtw's runway 21C, climbing through approximately 2300 ft MSL, the 'tail compartment hi-temperature light' came on along with a red master warning light. I transferred flying and radio duties to the first officer, while I began to try to correct our problem via company operations manual procedures. (A request for a return to land with the emergency equipment was also made). We were able to get the light to go out and then I relayed our intentions to land in dtw to our flight attendants and passenger. An uneventful landing was made on runway 21R. After landing we pulled off of runway 21R onto runway 9L and stopped while the emergency equipment inspected our aircraft with no adverse indications, we then proceeded to the gate. This particular aircraft had at least 2 previous write-ups for the same problem during the taxi phase that same day (including one of our own). The mechanics during the course of the events had made inspections of the tail compartment, changed temperature sensors and MEL'ed the APU with no positive finding of any problem (duct leak, etc). Sometimes, trying to fix a problem through the process of elimination doesn't work real well.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG RETURNED TO LAND AFTER THE HI-TEMP TAIL COMPARTMENT WARNING AND MASTER CAUTION RED LIGHTS LIT DURING CLBOUT.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING DTW'S RWY 21C, CLBING THROUGH APPROX 2300 FT MSL, THE 'TAIL COMPARTMENT HI-TEMP LIGHT' CAME ON ALONG WITH A RED MASTER WARNING LIGHT. I TRANSFERRED FLYING AND RADIO DUTIES TO THE FO, WHILE I BEGAN TO TRY TO CORRECT OUR PROB VIA COMPANY OPS MANUAL PROCS. (A REQUEST FOR A RETURN TO LAND WITH THE EMER EQUIP WAS ALSO MADE). WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE LIGHT TO GO OUT AND THEN I RELAYED OUR INTENTIONS TO LAND IN DTW TO OUR FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE ON RWY 21R. AFTER LNDG WE PULLED OFF OF RWY 21R ONTO RWY 9L AND STOPPED WHILE THE EMER EQUIP INSPECTED OUR ACFT WITH NO ADVERSE INDICATIONS, WE THEN PROCEEDED TO THE GATE. THIS PARTICULAR ACFT HAD AT LEAST 2 PREVIOUS WRITE-UPS FOR THE SAME PROB DURING THE TAXI PHASE THAT SAME DAY (INCLUDING ONE OF OUR OWN). THE MECHS DURING THE COURSE OF THE EVENTS HAD MADE INSPECTIONS OF THE TAIL COMPARTMENT, CHANGED TEMP SENSORS AND MEL'ED THE APU WITH NO POSITIVE FINDING OF ANY PROB (DUCT LEAK, ETC). SOMETIMES, TRYING TO FIX A PROB THROUGH THE PROCESS OF ELIMINATION DOESN'T WORK REAL WELL.

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.