Narrative:

After normal takeoff from las, cleared to goffs VOR approximately altitude 9000 ft, when flickering master warning light came on, followed by tail compartment temperature high light. Accomplished red box items. Red warning continued to flicker and captain declared emergency and requested return to las. When power was reduced to begin descent, all associated lights immediately extinguished. Normal descent and landing were accomplished. Crew coordination and PA to passenger were made well in advance of landing. Notification to las operations was also made prior to landing. After landing aircraft was stopped on inner taxi to allow crash fire rescue equipment to fully investigate tail area. Communications with fire chief confirmed no further emergency existed and aircraft taxied to gate. Maintenance indicated aircraft had prior history of this malfunction. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the tail compartment overheat warning was not a false warning. The reporter said maintenance found a high pressure pneumatic leak from a duct fitting which triggered the overheat warning. The reporter said this item was frequently reported and a lot of work was accomplished but no fix.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 ON INITIAL CLB AT 9000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO A TAIL COMPARTMENT OVERHEAT WARNING CAUSED BY A LEAKING HIGH PRESSURE DUCT FITTING.

Narrative: AFTER NORMAL TKOF FROM LAS, CLRED TO GOFFS VOR APPROX ALT 9000 FT, WHEN FLICKERING MASTER WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, FOLLOWED BY TAIL COMPARTMENT TEMP HIGH LIGHT. ACCOMPLISHED RED BOX ITEMS. RED WARNING CONTINUED TO FLICKER AND CAPT DECLARED EMER AND REQUESTED RETURN TO LAS. WHEN PWR WAS REDUCED TO BEGIN DSCNT, ALL ASSOCIATED LIGHTS IMMEDIATELY EXTINGUISHED. NORMAL DSCNT AND LNDG WERE ACCOMPLISHED. CREW COORD AND PA TO PAX WERE MADE WELL IN ADVANCE OF LNDG. NOTIFICATION TO LAS OPS WAS ALSO MADE PRIOR TO LNDG. AFTER LNDG ACFT WAS STOPPED ON INNER TAXI TO ALLOW CFR TO FULLY INVESTIGATE TAIL AREA. COMS WITH FIRE CHIEF CONFIRMED NO FURTHER EMER EXISTED AND ACFT TAXIED TO GATE. MAINT INDICATED ACFT HAD PRIOR HISTORY OF THIS MALFUNCTION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE TAIL COMPARTMENT OVERHEAT WARNING WAS NOT A FALSE WARNING. THE RPTR SAID MAINT FOUND A HIGH PRESSURE PNEUMATIC LEAK FROM A DUCT FITTING WHICH TRIGGERED THE OVERHEAT WARNING. THE RPTR SAID THIS ITEM WAS FREQUENTLY RPTED AND A LOT OF WORK WAS ACCOMPLISHED BUT NO FIX.

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.