Crew had in-flight turn back with equipment cooling overheat warning.

Attributes
ACN	445691
Time
Date	199908
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : ttt.vor
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 9000
Environment
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d10.tracon tower : dfw.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	445691
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : fault isolation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Emergency landing. Just prior to departure at dfw, we had an equipment cooling overheat light and EICAS message. We had earlier returned to the gate with this same problem. Maintenance checked out the system. Conferred with maintenance and concluded the cause was most likely the excessive ramp heat. They believed once we were airborne and better air flow available, the situation would be normal. With that in mind, we switched to standby and departed. About 5 mins after airborne, the overheat light and EICAS message reappeared. I made the decision we would not make the flight overseas. Since there was a potential overheat situation, we decided to return to dfw as soon as possible. Rather than taking an ATC vectoring delay, I declared an emergency and asked for an immediate return to dfw. We made an uneventful overweight landing on runway 17R. The emergency equipment met us and followed us to the terminal. Upon arrival at the gate, it seemed that the cockpit was too warm and the surfaces were warm to the touch. I was informed that a briefcase under seat was hot to the touch. I asked passenger and crew to deplane leaving all personal belongings. When we left the area, maintenance was investigating the problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CREW HAD INFLT TURN BACK WITH EQUIP COOLING OVERHEAT WARNING.

Narrative: EMER LNDG. JUST PRIOR TO DEP AT DFW, WE HAD AN EQUIP COOLING OVERHEAT LIGHT AND EICAS MESSAGE. WE HAD EARLIER RETURNED TO THE GATE WITH THIS SAME PROB. MAINT CHKED OUT THE SYS. CONFERRED WITH MAINT AND CONCLUDED THE CAUSE WAS MOST LIKELY THE EXCESSIVE RAMP HEAT. THEY BELIEVED ONCE WE WERE AIRBORNE AND BETTER AIR FLOW AVAILABLE, THE SIT WOULD BE NORMAL. WITH THAT IN MIND, WE SWITCHED TO STANDBY AND DEPARTED. ABOUT 5 MINS AFTER AIRBORNE, THE OVERHEAT LIGHT AND EICAS MESSAGE REAPPEARED. I MADE THE DECISION WE WOULD NOT MAKE THE FLT OVERSEAS. SINCE THERE WAS A POTENTIAL OVERHEAT SIT, WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO DFW ASAP. RATHER THAN TAKING AN ATC VECTORING DELAY, I DECLARED AN EMER AND ASKED FOR AN IMMEDIATE RETURN TO DFW. WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL OVERWT LNDG ON RWY 17R. THE EMER EQUIP MET US AND FOLLOWED US TO THE TERMINAL. UPON ARR AT THE GATE, IT SEEMED THAT THE COCKPIT WAS TOO WARM AND THE SURFACES WERE WARM TO THE TOUCH. I WAS INFORMED THAT A BRIEFCASE UNDER SEAT WAS HOT TO THE TOUCH. I ASKED PAX AND CREW TO DEPLANE LEAVING ALL PERSONAL BELONGINGS. WHEN WE LEFT THE AREA, MAINT WAS INVESTIGATING THE PROB.

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.