Narrative:

When level at 19000 ft en route from cvg to mke in an EMB120 we had an engine wheelwell fire warning on #1 engine. We were deviating around thunderstorms. The captain was flying and I was the PNF. We proceeded with engine fire memory items and checklists and shut the engine down. After dispensing both fire bottles we still had the engine fire warning. We had declared an emergency with ZID and they vectored us to ind. We did an ILS to runway 23R and evacuate/evacuationed on the runway. No one was hurt. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said that, after the postflt inspection, the fire warning was found to be a false warning. The maintenance department changed the fire warning control box and replaced the fire bottles. A new crew ferried the aircraft out the next day. Since the fire warning had been on #1 engine, the captain elected to evacuate/evacuation the passenger out the right side of the aircraft, using the overwing exit. Prior to landing the flight attendant responded in the negative to the captain's inquiry if any fire or smoke was coming from the #1 engine. The wing flaps had been left down after landing since hydraulic pressure was required to raise them and the crew didn't want to take the time to raise the flaps prior to shutting the #2 engine down. The extended flaps actually assisted in the evacuate/evacuation, lessening the possibility of passenger injury. The distance from the wing to the ground is 3 ft, the flaps reduced that and slowed their descent to the ground. When asked, the reporter stated that the flaps were not on an emergency checklist to be used for that specific purpose.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB120 MAKES AN EMER LNDG AT IND AFTER HAVING AN ENG WHEELWELL FIRE INDICATION THAT FAILED TO GO OUT AFTER 2 FIRE BOTTLES WERE DISPENSED. PAX EVACED ON THE RWY.

Narrative: WHEN LEVEL AT 19000 FT ENRTE FROM CVG TO MKE IN AN EMB120 WE HAD AN ENG WHEELWELL FIRE WARNING ON #1 ENG. WE WERE DEVIATING AROUND TSTMS. THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND I WAS THE PNF. WE PROCEEDED WITH ENG FIRE MEMORY ITEMS AND CHKLISTS AND SHUT THE ENG DOWN. AFTER DISPENSING BOTH FIRE BOTTLES WE STILL HAD THE ENG FIRE WARNING. WE HAD DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZID AND THEY VECTORED US TO IND. WE DID AN ILS TO RWY 23R AND EVACED ON THE RWY. NO ONE WAS HURT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THAT, AFTER THE POSTFLT INSPECTION, THE FIRE WARNING WAS FOUND TO BE A FALSE WARNING. THE MAINT DEPT CHANGED THE FIRE WARNING CTL BOX AND REPLACED THE FIRE BOTTLES. A NEW CREW FERRIED THE ACFT OUT THE NEXT DAY. SINCE THE FIRE WARNING HAD BEEN ON #1 ENG, THE CAPT ELECTED TO EVAC THE PAX OUT THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT, USING THE OVERWING EXIT. PRIOR TO LNDG THE FLT ATTENDANT RESPONDED IN THE NEGATIVE TO THE CAPT'S INQUIRY IF ANY FIRE OR SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE #1 ENG. THE WING FLAPS HAD BEEN LEFT DOWN AFTER LNDG SINCE HYD PRESSURE WAS REQUIRED TO RAISE THEM AND THE CREW DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE THE TIME TO RAISE THE FLAPS PRIOR TO SHUTTING THE #2 ENG DOWN. THE EXTENDED FLAPS ACTUALLY ASSISTED IN THE EVAC, LESSENING THE POSSIBILITY OF PAX INJURY. THE DISTANCE FROM THE WING TO THE GND IS 3 FT, THE FLAPS REDUCED THAT AND SLOWED THEIR DSCNT TO THE GND. WHEN ASKED, THE RPTR STATED THAT THE FLAPS WERE NOT ON AN EMER CHKLIST TO BE USED FOR THAT SPECIFIC PURPOSE.

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.