MD80 has engine fire warning and engine shutdown followed by uneventful return to departure station....

Attributes
ACN	459171
Time
Date	199912
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zla.artcc
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	459171
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty oversight : flight attendant in charge
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 5
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 16 flight attendant time total : 16 flight attendant time type : 90
ASRS Report	459175
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Cabin Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Overweight landing after engine fire warning and shutdown. ZLA, 15000 ft, las 055 degree radial 38 DME. Climb out from las, going through 15000 ft when engine fire warning on right engine. Followed procedure and shut down right engine, returned to las and landed. Fire crews found no indication of a fire, so returned to gate to let passenger off. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the loud, popping sound on the right side of the plane, that was heard by the reporting flight attendants, was actually the pilots shutting down the right engine after the fire warning light came on. Because they were in the air only 18 mins, and 9 mins from engine shutdown to landing, they were going to have to land overweight. The captain told the purser that they should prepare for an emergency evacuate/evacuation, depending on what the firemen in the emergency vehicles on the ground told them the plane looked like on landing. Once on the ground, the plane had to be inspected and the fire extinguisher had to be replaced, so the plane was taken OTS. He said the purser had just been released to fly after being off for a 14 month period due to being in another emergency evacuate/evacuation. Supplemental information from acn 459501: there was a loud popping sound, like a rock hitting the side of a house, on the aircraft right engine. All crew members heard the sound. Cockpit indicated their instruments showed a right engine fire. Stopped the beverage service, secured everything in galley, did safety checks. Perceptions: that we would have been informed to do a planned evacuate/evacuation, but flight attendant #1 said she wasn't informed on what to do. In other words, test. Action: started walking through the aisle doing seatbelt checks and making sure the window exits didn't have anything obstructing them. Communication: because anytime you ask the #1 flight attendant 'are we going to do a planned evacuate/evacuation?' and her response is 'I don't know,' case and point.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 HAS ENG FIRE WARNING AND ENG SHUTDOWN FOLLOWED BY UNEVENTFUL RETURN TO DEP STATION. CABIN CREW QUESTIONED LACK OF DIRECTION ABOUT A PLAN FOR EVAC OR NOT.

Narrative: OVERWT LNDG AFTER ENG FIRE WARNING AND SHUTDOWN. ZLA, 15000 FT, LAS 055 DEG RADIAL 38 DME. CLBOUT FROM LAS, GOING THROUGH 15000 FT WHEN ENG FIRE WARNING ON R ENG. FOLLOWED PROC AND SHUT DOWN R ENG, RETURNED TO LAS AND LANDED. FIRE CREWS FOUND NO INDICATION OF A FIRE, SO RETURNED TO GATE TO LET PAX OFF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE LOUD, POPPING SOUND ON THE R SIDE OF THE PLANE, THAT WAS HEARD BY THE RPTING FLT ATTENDANTS, WAS ACTUALLY THE PLTS SHUTTING DOWN THE R ENG AFTER THE FIRE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. BECAUSE THEY WERE IN THE AIR ONLY 18 MINS, AND 9 MINS FROM ENG SHUTDOWN TO LNDG, THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO LAND OVERWT. THE CAPT TOLD THE PURSER THAT THEY SHOULD PREPARE FOR AN EMER EVAC, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE FIREMEN IN THE EMER VEHICLES ON THE GND TOLD THEM THE PLANE LOOKED LIKE ON LNDG. ONCE ON THE GND, THE PLANE HAD TO BE INSPECTED AND THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER HAD TO BE REPLACED, SO THE PLANE WAS TAKEN OTS. HE SAID THE PURSER HAD JUST BEEN RELEASED TO FLY AFTER BEING OFF FOR A 14 MONTH PERIOD DUE TO BEING IN ANOTHER EMER EVAC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 459501: THERE WAS A LOUD POPPING SOUND, LIKE A ROCK HITTING THE SIDE OF A HOUSE, ON THE ACFT R ENG. ALL CREW MEMBERS HEARD THE SOUND. COCKPIT INDICATED THEIR INSTS SHOWED A R ENG FIRE. STOPPED THE BEVERAGE SVC, SECURED EVERYTHING IN GALLEY, DID SAFETY CHKS. PERCEPTIONS: THAT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN INFORMED TO DO A PLANNED EVAC, BUT FLT ATTENDANT #1 SAID SHE WASN'T INFORMED ON WHAT TO DO. IN OTHER WORDS, TEST. ACTION: STARTED WALKING THROUGH THE AISLE DOING SEATBELT CHKS AND MAKING SURE THE WINDOW EXITS DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING OBSTRUCTING THEM. COM: BECAUSE ANYTIME YOU ASK THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT 'ARE WE GOING TO DO A PLANNED EVAC?' AND HER RESPONSE IS 'I DON'T KNOW,' CASE AND POINT.

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.

MD80 has engine fire warning and engine shutdown followed by uneventful return to departure station. Cabin crew questioned lack of direction about a plan for evacuate/evacuation or not.