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An MD80 in cruise at FL250 had flickering fire agent low pressure warning light and, during descent, had no test of 'B' fire loop.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 517936 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200107 |
| Day | Sun |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : crp.vortac |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl single value : 25000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zhu.artcc tracon : a80.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 517936 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 28 |
| ASRS Report | 517769 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fire extinguisher bottle warning other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Departure from mccullen, tx, to ZZZ airport. Normal takeoff and climb out in MD80. At cruise of FL250, slid chair back away from panel and noticed agent 2 low pressure light 'on' (fire detection and suppression system) for engines and APU. No abnormal or emergency procedures in flight manual to follow, so we called ZZZ maintenance and dispatch to confer. Got conference call together over crp, tx, and maintenance control felt ok to continue to ZZZ. Fire warning test was attempted during descent, and #1 engine 'B' loop light flickered along with #1 engine fire light during test. Followed QRH abnormal and selected loop 'a' with subsequent satisfactory fire test. Approach and landing without incident, with a full write-up in logbook on arrival. A fire test was again attempted at the gate. The test was normal regardless of loops switch position. Suspected loop 'B' short due to loose connections and vibrations during normal flight. We are not sure continuing to ZZZ was best alternative. Preflight included fire test and showed no anomalies -- but we weren't exactly comfortable with an apparent 'thermal discharge' of #1 bottle.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN MD80 IN CRUISE AT FL250 HAD FLICKERING FIRE AGENT LOW PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT AND, DURING DSCNT, HAD NO TEST OF 'B' FIRE LOOP.
Narrative: DEP FROM MCCULLEN, TX, TO ZZZ ARPT. NORMAL TKOF AND CLBOUT IN MD80. AT CRUISE OF FL250, SLID CHAIR BACK AWAY FROM PANEL AND NOTICED AGENT 2 LOW PRESSURE LIGHT 'ON' (FIRE DETECTION AND SUPPRESSION SYS) FOR ENGS AND APU. NO ABNORMAL OR EMER PROCS IN FLT MANUAL TO FOLLOW, SO WE CALLED ZZZ MAINT AND DISPATCH TO CONFER. GOT CONFERENCE CALL TOGETHER OVER CRP, TX, AND MAINT CTL FELT OK TO CONTINUE TO ZZZ. FIRE WARNING TEST WAS ATTEMPTED DURING DSCNT, AND #1 ENG 'B' LOOP LIGHT FLICKERED ALONG WITH #1 ENG FIRE LIGHT DURING TEST. FOLLOWED QRH ABNORMAL AND SELECTED LOOP 'A' WITH SUBSEQUENT SATISFACTORY FIRE TEST. APCH AND LNDG WITHOUT INCIDENT, WITH A FULL WRITE-UP IN LOGBOOK ON ARR. A FIRE TEST WAS AGAIN ATTEMPTED AT THE GATE. THE TEST WAS NORMAL REGARDLESS OF LOOPS SWITCH POS. SUSPECTED LOOP 'B' SHORT DUE TO LOOSE CONNECTIONS AND VIBRATIONS DURING NORMAL FLT. WE ARE NOT SURE CONTINUING TO ZZZ WAS BEST ALTERNATIVE. PREFLT INCLUDED FIRE TEST AND SHOWED NO ANOMALIES -- BUT WE WEREN'T EXACTLY COMFORTABLE WITH AN APPARENT 'THERMAL DISCHARGE' OF #1 BOTTLE.
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.