Narrative:

I was en route to abc to pick up a patient for transport back to the xyz hospital. I had been in cruise flight for approximately 6 mins when the #2 engine fire light flickered twice, then stayed on. I secured the #2 engine in accordance with the rfm, activated both fire bottles, and executed an engine out approach to runway 22 at ZZZ, taxied to the east ramp and completed a normal shutdown of the #1 engine. In retrospect, I feel I waited too long to react to the light. The helicopter has a habit of false fire lights, especially when the aircraft has been sitting in wet conditions. In this case, the aircraft had sat all night in dense fog. This was the first flight of the day. When the light first blinked, I thought it was a false light. But when it stayed on, I still hesitated briefly before I secured the engine. Lesson #1: believe all lights and react immediately to them! As it turns out, this was a false light. But if it had been real, even the 5 second delay of disbelief could have been the difference between a successful landing and bigger problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMS HELI HAS ENG FIRE LIGHT ACTIVATE. BOTH FIRE BOTTLES ARE ACTIVATED, THEN ENG SHUTDOWN AND APCH AND LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE TO ABC TO PICK UP A PATIENT FOR TRANSPORT BACK TO THE XYZ HOSPITAL. I HAD BEEN IN CRUISE FLT FOR APPROX 6 MINS WHEN THE #2 ENG FIRE LIGHT FLICKERED TWICE, THEN STAYED ON. I SECURED THE #2 ENG IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RFM, ACTIVATED BOTH FIRE BOTTLES, AND EXECUTED AN ENG OUT APCH TO RWY 22 AT ZZZ, TAXIED TO THE E RAMP AND COMPLETED A NORMAL SHUTDOWN OF THE #1 ENG. IN RETROSPECT, I FEEL I WAITED TOO LONG TO REACT TO THE LIGHT. THE HELI HAS A HABIT OF FALSE FIRE LIGHTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ACFT HAS BEEN SITTING IN WET CONDITIONS. IN THIS CASE, THE ACFT HAD SAT ALL NIGHT IN DENSE FOG. THIS WAS THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY. WHEN THE LIGHT FIRST BLINKED, I THOUGHT IT WAS A FALSE LIGHT. BUT WHEN IT STAYED ON, I STILL HESITATED BRIEFLY BEFORE I SECURED THE ENG. LESSON #1: BELIEVE ALL LIGHTS AND REACT IMMEDIATELY TO THEM! AS IT TURNS OUT, THIS WAS A FALSE LIGHT. BUT IF IT HAD BEEN REAL, EVEN THE 5 SECOND DELAY OF DISBELIEF COULD HAVE BEEN THE DIFFERENCE BTWN A SUCCESSFUL LNDG AND BIGGER PROBS.

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.