An air carrier DC10-40 had to return land with an in-flight engine fire.

Attributes
ACN	360285
Time
Date	199702
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 40
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude other other
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	360285
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Flight experienced an engine fire on engine #3 on climb out from lax (altitude 2000 ft MSL after gear and flap retraction). Emergency was declared and flight returned to lax. Indications of engine fire extinguished were received after discharging 1 fire bottle into the #3 engine. 16800 pounds of fuel were dumped over the pacific ocean. An overweight landing was accomplished at 415000 pounds. Pilot and flight attendant crew performed duties as trained and no difficulties were experienced with any of the procedures or the accomplishment of same. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter does not know what caused the fire warning. The air carrier ground crew treated this as a false warning initially, but found scorching inside the cowling when it was opened. The aircraft was ferried on 2 engines to its home base the next day.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DC10-40 HAD TO RETURN LAND WITH AN INFLT ENG FIRE.

Narrative: FLT EXPERIENCED AN ENG FIRE ON ENG #3 ON CLBOUT FROM LAX (ALT 2000 FT MSL AFTER GEAR AND FLAP RETRACTION). EMER WAS DECLARED AND FLT RETURNED TO LAX. INDICATIONS OF ENG FIRE EXTINGUISHED WERE RECEIVED AFTER DISCHARGING 1 FIRE BOTTLE INTO THE #3 ENG. 16800 LBS OF FUEL WERE DUMPED OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN. AN OVERWT LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED AT 415000 LBS. PLT AND FLT ATTENDANT CREW PERFORMED DUTIES AS TRAINED AND NO DIFFICULTIES WERE EXPERIENCED WITH ANY OF THE PROCS OR THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF SAME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE WARNING. THE ACR GND CREW TREATED THIS AS A FALSE WARNING INITIALLY, BUT FOUND SCORCHING INSIDE THE COWLING WHEN IT WAS OPENED. THE ACFT WAS FERRIED ON 2 ENGS TO ITS HOME BASE THE NEXT DAY.

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.