A canadair CL65 on approach at 8000 ft declared an emergency due to left engine fire warning lights ...

Attributes
ACN	498100
Time
Date	200101
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem.airport
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl single value : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mem.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 245 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 550
ASRS Report	498100
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : left engine fire warning other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

While in cruise flight at FL280, the flight attendant brought me a cup of coffee. (IOE first officer was the PF.) after drinking some of the coffee, I was in the process of placing my cup of coffee in the aircraft cup holder, when we encountered some unexpected light chop, and my cup came in contact with the nosewheel steering wheel, causing my coffee to spill between my flight bag and the side panel. I immediately did my best to wipe up the spill, with napkins I had, and more supplied by the flight attendant. I believed I had wiped it all up, but the flight was at dusk/night and it was difficult to tell. Approximately 15 mins later, while descending into the mem approach airspace, the following caution messages illuminated, right fire fail, right jet overheat fail, APU fire fail, left fire fail, and jet overheat fail. While troubleshooting (working the abnormal checklists), approximately 20 seconds later, left jet pipe overheat warning message illuminated. Emergency checklist procedures were carried out and message disappeared (all engine parameters were normal). This was followed some time later by left engine fire warning and fire bell, and the APU fire warning message (APU was not running, it was off). Emergency procedures and checklists were carried out (including the requesting of crash fire rescue equipment, and a brief notification to dispatch). By this time we were on a visual downwind to runway 18L at mem and we had discussed the possibility that some coffee could have made its way to the 'fire warning and test sensor,' located nearby and in the area beneath the captain's flight bag area, causing multiple erroneous indications. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was a canadair CL65 and the false overheat and fire warnings were caused by the coffee spill saturating the overheat and fire warning module. The reporter said the overheat and fire warning module is located behind the left cockpit sidewall directly under the coffee cup holder. The reporter said on the ground, when maintenance removed the module, it was soaked with coffee.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR CL65 ON APCH AT 8000 FT DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO L ENG FIRE WARNING LIGHTS AND BELL CAUSED BY A COFFEE SPILL.

Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE FLT AT FL280, THE FLT ATTENDANT BROUGHT ME A CUP OF COFFEE. (IOE FO WAS THE PF.) AFTER DRINKING SOME OF THE COFFEE, I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PLACING MY CUP OF COFFEE IN THE ACFT CUP HOLDER, WHEN WE ENCOUNTERED SOME UNEXPECTED LIGHT CHOP, AND MY CUP CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING WHEEL, CAUSING MY COFFEE TO SPILL BTWN MY FLT BAG AND THE SIDE PANEL. I IMMEDIATELY DID MY BEST TO WIPE UP THE SPILL, WITH NAPKINS I HAD, AND MORE SUPPLIED BY THE FLT ATTENDANT. I BELIEVED I HAD WIPED IT ALL UP, BUT THE FLT WAS AT DUSK/NIGHT AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO TELL. APPROX 15 MINS LATER, WHILE DSNDING INTO THE MEM APCH AIRSPACE, THE FOLLOWING CAUTION MESSAGES ILLUMINATED, R FIRE FAIL, R JET OVERHEAT FAIL, APU FIRE FAIL, L FIRE FAIL, AND JET OVERHEAT FAIL. WHILE TROUBLESHOOTING (WORKING THE ABNORMAL CHKLISTS), APPROX 20 SECONDS LATER, L JET PIPE OVERHEAT WARNING MESSAGE ILLUMINATED. EMER CHKLIST PROCS WERE CARRIED OUT AND MESSAGE DISAPPEARED (ALL ENG PARAMETERS WERE NORMAL). THIS WAS FOLLOWED SOME TIME LATER BY L ENG FIRE WARNING AND FIRE BELL, AND THE APU FIRE WARNING MESSAGE (APU WAS NOT RUNNING, IT WAS OFF). EMER PROCS AND CHKLISTS WERE CARRIED OUT (INCLUDING THE REQUESTING OF CFR, AND A BRIEF NOTIFICATION TO DISPATCH). BY THIS TIME WE WERE ON A VISUAL DOWNWIND TO RWY 18L AT MEM AND WE HAD DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY THAT SOME COFFEE COULD HAVE MADE ITS WAY TO THE 'FIRE WARNING AND TEST SENSOR,' LOCATED NEARBY AND IN THE AREA BENEATH THE CAPT'S FLT BAG AREA, CAUSING MULTIPLE ERRONEOUS INDICATIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A CANADAIR CL65 AND THE FALSE OVERHEAT AND FIRE WARNINGS WERE CAUSED BY THE COFFEE SPILL SATURATING THE OVERHEAT AND FIRE WARNING MODULE. THE RPTR SAID THE OVERHEAT AND FIRE WARNING MODULE IS LOCATED BEHIND THE L COCKPIT SIDEWALL DIRECTLY UNDER THE COFFEE CUP HOLDER. THE RPTR SAID ON THE GND, WHEN MAINT REMOVED THE MODULE, IT WAS SOAKED WITH COFFEE.

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.

A canadair CL65 on approach at 8000 ft declared an emergency due to left engine fire warning lights and bell caused by a coffee spill.