Just after takeoff an air carrier B747 had engine #2 fire warning caused by bleed air valve stuck open dumping hot air into the engine. Flight crew kept engine running at idle, returned to departure airport and shut down the engine after landing.

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Attributes
ACN	385919
Time
Date	199711
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : nrt
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : nrt
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 255 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 875
ASRS Report	385919
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 205 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 1404
ASRS Report	386473
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After takeoff from narita airport and into climb segment, engine #2 nacelle temperature increased to 8-9 level triggering fire warning system. We (captain and myself, engineer) ran checklists for problem, ie, engine fire while first officer flew aircraft. Fire warning stopped and nacelle temperature decreased to 0-1 values as thrust lever #2 was pulled back. By seeing these results, we determined problem to be a bleed air leak, not an engine fire. We also determined that the engine could safely be run at low power settings with little or no increase in nacelle temperature. We elected to keep engine running as a backup in case needed. No fuel was dumped because aircraft was below maximum landing weight. We successfully made an approach and landing back to narita airport and no emergency was declared. Mechanics inspected #2 engine and found bleed air valve stuck in partial open position and some leakage had occurred at higher power settings. Aircraft was repaired (partially) and we departed 1 hour later with no further problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: JUST AFTER TKOF AN ACR B747 HAD ENG #2 FIRE WARNING CAUSED BY BLEED AIR VALVE STUCK OPEN DUMPING HOT AIR INTO THE ENG. FLC KEPT ENG RUNNING AT IDLE, RETURNED TO DEP ARPT AND SHUT DOWN THE ENG AFTER LNDG.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM NARITA ARPT AND INTO CLB SEGMENT, ENG #2 NACELLE TEMP INCREASED TO 8-9 LEVEL TRIGGERING FIRE WARNING SYS. WE (CAPT AND MYSELF, ENGINEER) RAN CHKLISTS FOR PROB, IE, ENG FIRE WHILE FO FLEW ACFT. FIRE WARNING STOPPED AND NACELLE TEMP DECREASED TO 0-1 VALUES AS THRUST LEVER #2 WAS PULLED BACK. BY SEEING THESE RESULTS, WE DETERMINED PROB TO BE A BLEED AIR LEAK, NOT AN ENG FIRE. WE ALSO DETERMINED THAT THE ENG COULD SAFELY BE RUN AT LOW PWR SETTINGS WITH LITTLE OR NO INCREASE IN NACELLE TEMP. WE ELECTED TO KEEP ENG RUNNING AS A BACKUP IN CASE NEEDED. NO FUEL WAS DUMPED BECAUSE ACFT WAS BELOW MAX LNDG WT. WE SUCCESSFULLY MADE AN APCH AND LNDG BACK TO NARITA ARPT AND NO EMER WAS DECLARED. MECHS INSPECTED #2 ENG AND FOUND BLEED AIR VALVE STUCK IN PARTIAL OPEN POS AND SOME LEAKAGE HAD OCCURRED AT HIGHER PWR SETTINGS. ACFT WAS REPAIRED (PARTIALLY) AND WE DEPARTED 1 HR LATER WITH NO FURTHER 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.