Narrative:

As captain of the flight, I was about to awake our relief pilot and start my own rest period about 4 hours into the flight. About that time, the left wing slide EICAS message flashed on and off along with the emergency doors light on the overhead panel. This was so brief that I didn't get a chance to read it the first time. A few mins later it illuminated again, this time long enough to read. Immediately I asked my copilot to get the appropriate irregular checklist out and review it. The checklist calls for a visual inspection of the slide from inside the cabin to see if it has deployed. My copilot left the flight deck to inspect the slide and returned, reporting that everything was normal. About this time our relief pilot returned to the cockpit. I briefed him about the intermittent light and then we contacted maintenance and dispatch. Our dispatcher recommended a precautionary diversion to either lima, peru, caracas, venezuela, or miami, fl. Due to the time of night (approximately XX30) our dispatcher was unable to determine if lima and caracas were good options and recommended a diversion to miami. My crew agreed and we began our diversion. Upon turning back to miami and descending from FL370 to FL350, the warning lights did not illuminate for the remainder of the flight. Several other visual inspections were made during the flight as well as one just prior to landing. No more abnormal indications were observed. The lights never remained on steady which leads me to believe this was an indication problem. Our checklist does not address the lights coming on intermittently, I believe it should. Supplemental information from acn 429254: the warning lights never remained on steady. Although our checklist states to land at the nearest suitable alternate, it does not address the lights coming on intermittently. It was our collective opinion that this was an indication problem. Subsequent discussion with maintenance confirmed that the sensor was out of adjustment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B767-200 ACFT HAD AN INTERMITTENT EICAS MESSAGE INDICATING THAT THE L OVERWING EVAC SLIDE MAY BE UNLOCKED. THE CREW AND THEIR DISPATCHER DECIDED TO DIVERT TO MIA WHERE MAINT FOUND THAT THE COMPARTMENT DOOR SENSOR WAS OUT OF ADJUSTMENT.

Narrative: AS CAPT OF THE FLT, I WAS ABOUT TO AWAKE OUR RELIEF PLT AND START MY OWN REST PERIOD ABOUT 4 HRS INTO THE FLT. ABOUT THAT TIME, THE L WING SLIDE EICAS MESSAGE FLASHED ON AND OFF ALONG WITH THE EMER DOORS LIGHT ON THE OVERHEAD PANEL. THIS WAS SO BRIEF THAT I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO READ IT THE FIRST TIME. A FEW MINS LATER IT ILLUMINATED AGAIN, THIS TIME LONG ENOUGH TO READ. IMMEDIATELY I ASKED MY COPLT TO GET THE APPROPRIATE IRREGULAR CHKLIST OUT AND REVIEW IT. THE CHKLIST CALLS FOR A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE SLIDE FROM INSIDE THE CABIN TO SEE IF IT HAS DEPLOYED. MY COPLT LEFT THE FLT DECK TO INSPECT THE SLIDE AND RETURNED, RPTING THAT EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. ABOUT THIS TIME OUR RELIEF PLT RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT. I BRIEFED HIM ABOUT THE INTERMITTENT LIGHT AND THEN WE CONTACTED MAINT AND DISPATCH. OUR DISPATCHER RECOMMENDED A PRECAUTIONARY DIVERSION TO EITHER LIMA, PERU, CARACAS, VENEZUELA, OR MIAMI, FL. DUE TO THE TIME OF NIGHT (APPROX XX30) OUR DISPATCHER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF LIMA AND CARACAS WERE GOOD OPTIONS AND RECOMMENDED A DIVERSION TO MIAMI. MY CREW AGREED AND WE BEGAN OUR DIVERSION. UPON TURNING BACK TO MIAMI AND DSNDING FROM FL370 TO FL350, THE WARNING LIGHTS DID NOT ILLUMINATE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. SEVERAL OTHER VISUAL INSPECTIONS WERE MADE DURING THE FLT AS WELL AS ONE JUST PRIOR TO LNDG. NO MORE ABNORMAL INDICATIONS WERE OBSERVED. THE LIGHTS NEVER REMAINED ON STEADY WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THIS WAS AN INDICATION PROB. OUR CHKLIST DOES NOT ADDRESS THE LIGHTS COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY, I BELIEVE IT SHOULD. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 429254: THE WARNING LIGHTS NEVER REMAINED ON STEADY. ALTHOUGH OUR CHKLIST STATES TO LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ALTERNATE, IT DOES NOT ADDRESS THE LIGHTS COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY. IT WAS OUR COLLECTIVE OPINION THAT THIS WAS AN INDICATION PROB. SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION WITH MAINT CONFIRMED THAT THE SENSOR WAS OUT OF ADJUSTMENT.

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.