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Flight crew of a B727 declared an emergency due to a fire warning in the #1 engine. Maintenance found a faulty fire detection system.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 365536 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199704 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : aus |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : aus |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors enroute airway : zhu enroute airway : aus |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 320 |
| ASRS Report | 365536 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Approximately 10 mins after takeoff and prior to the top of climb, the glare shield master fire warning lights and fire bell came on. After bell cutout was initiated, the glare shield light also extinguished and no single fire handle light was on, or any smoke detection device activated. With the engine fire and severe damage checklist in hand, we accomplished a fire test and found that the #1 engine would not test properly. With normal engine indications and not sure of the condition of engine #1, we pulled it back to flight idle and continued on 2 engines to the nearest suitable airport. After the checklists were accomplished we were 1/2 way between dfw and aus, and determined the aus airport (destination) was the best place to proceed. With #1 engine at idle, it could be used for safety of flight, due to the low probability of fire or damage. After declaring an emergency with ZHU, the descent and approach into aus were uneventful. Upon landing, we cleared the runway and stopped the aircraft, set parking brake, and shut down #1 engine. The aus fire department accomplished a visual inspection of the exterior of engines #1, #2, and #3, and determined that it appeared no damage was present. We proceeded to the company ramp, where maintenance uncowled the #1 for final inspection. Maintenance initially determined that the fire loop for #1 was probably at fault.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A B727 DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO A FIRE WARNING IN THE #1 ENG. MAINT FOUND A FAULTY FIRE DETECTION SYS.
Narrative: APPROX 10 MINS AFTER TKOF AND PRIOR TO THE TOP OF CLB, THE GLARE SHIELD MASTER FIRE WARNING LIGHTS AND FIRE BELL CAME ON. AFTER BELL CUTOUT WAS INITIATED, THE GLARE SHIELD LIGHT ALSO EXTINGUISHED AND NO SINGLE FIRE HANDLE LIGHT WAS ON, OR ANY SMOKE DETECTION DEVICE ACTIVATED. WITH THE ENG FIRE AND SEVERE DAMAGE CHKLIST IN HAND, WE ACCOMPLISHED A FIRE TEST AND FOUND THAT THE #1 ENG WOULD NOT TEST PROPERLY. WITH NORMAL ENG INDICATIONS AND NOT SURE OF THE CONDITION OF ENG #1, WE PULLED IT BACK TO FLT IDLE AND CONTINUED ON 2 ENGS TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. AFTER THE CHKLISTS WERE ACCOMPLISHED WE WERE 1/2 WAY BTWN DFW AND AUS, AND DETERMINED THE AUS ARPT (DEST) WAS THE BEST PLACE TO PROCEED. WITH #1 ENG AT IDLE, IT COULD BE USED FOR SAFETY OF FLT, DUE TO THE LOW PROBABILITY OF FIRE OR DAMAGE. AFTER DECLARING AN EMER WITH ZHU, THE DSCNT AND APCH INTO AUS WERE UNEVENTFUL. UPON LNDG, WE CLRED THE RWY AND STOPPED THE ACFT, SET PARKING BRAKE, AND SHUT DOWN #1 ENG. THE AUS FIRE DEPT ACCOMPLISHED A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE EXTERIOR OF ENGS #1, #2, AND #3, AND DETERMINED THAT IT APPEARED NO DAMAGE WAS PRESENT. WE PROCEEDED TO THE COMPANY RAMP, WHERE MAINT UNCOWLED THE #1 FOR FINAL INSPECTION. MAINT INITIALLY DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE LOOP FOR #1 WAS PROBABLY AT FAULT.
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.