An airbus 300-A4 on descent declared an emergency and shut down an engine due to engine fire warning...

Attributes
ACN	374482
Time
Date	199707
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sju
State Reference	PR
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sju
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 4200 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	374482
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On descent we had a loop light and bell. Performed appropriate checklist which indicated an actual fire warning. About the same time fire warning sounded we shut the engine down and fired fire bottle, and declared an emergency. I feel that it was a short in the warning system, but unable to confirm. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the aircraft was an airbus 300- A4. He also advised that it was a false warning. Feedback from the maintenance department indicated the cause was metal aluminum foil insulation used on the engine bleed ducts unraveled and rubbed on the fire/overheat detector loop. Insulation was reclamped and the engine was run with no fire warning.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 300-A4 ON DSCNT DECLARED AN EMER AND SHUT DOWN AN ENG DUE TO ENG FIRE WARNING.

Narrative: ON DSCNT WE HAD A LOOP LIGHT AND BELL. PERFORMED APPROPRIATE CHKLIST WHICH INDICATED AN ACTUAL FIRE WARNING. ABOUT THE SAME TIME FIRE WARNING SOUNDED WE SHUT THE ENG DOWN AND FIRED FIRE BOTTLE, AND DECLARED AN EMER. I FEEL THAT IT WAS A SHORT IN THE WARNING SYS, BUT UNABLE TO CONFIRM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS AN AIRBUS 300- A4. HE ALSO ADVISED THAT IT WAS A FALSE WARNING. FEEDBACK FROM THE MAINT DEPT INDICATED THE CAUSE WAS METAL ALUMINUM FOIL INSULATION USED ON THE ENG BLEED DUCTS UNRAVELED AND RUBBED ON THE FIRE/OVERHEAT DETECTOR LOOP. INSULATION WAS RECLAMPED AND THE ENG WAS RUN WITH NO FIRE WARNING.

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.