An md-80 in climb at fl 270 declared an emergency and diverted due to aft cargo compartment fire war...

Attributes
ACN	521702
Time
Date	200108
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit.airport
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl single value : 270
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pit.tower tracon : p50.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 Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 12700 flight time type : 6325
ASRS Report	521702
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

In cruise flight, the aft cargo fire detection system went off. We declared an emergency and diverted to pit. I flew the aircraft while the first officer completed the cargo fire emergency checklist. The flight attendants were told to prepare the cabin for an emergency landing. We made a normal landing in pit. The fire departure checked the aircraft on the runway. They found no evidence of smoke or fire. We then taxied the aircraft to the gate without further incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the cargo compartment fire warning turned out to be a false warning. The reporter said this fire detection and extinguishing system for the cargo compartments is fairly new but four other md-80 aircraft have experienced false warnings and all in the aft pit. The reporter said it is believed that moisture from the aft lavatory and water system collects on the fire sensor and triggers the false alarm.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD-80 IN CLIMB AT FL 270 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT FIRE WARNING.

Narrative: IN CRUISE FLT, THE AFT CARGO FIRE DETECTION SYS WENT OFF. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO PIT. I FLEW THE ACFT WHILE THE FO COMPLETED THE CARGO FIRE EMER CHKLIST. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE TOLD TO PREPARE THE CABIN FOR AN EMER LNDG. WE MADE A NORMAL LNDG IN PIT. THE FIRE DEP CHECKED THE ACFT ON THE RWY. THEY FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF SMOKE OR FIRE. WE THEN TAXIED THE ACFT TO THE GATE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CARGO COMPARTMENT FIRE WARNING TURNED OUT TO BE A FALSE WARNING. THE RPTR SAID THIS FIRE DETECTION AND EXTINGUISHING SYS FOR THE CARGO COMPARTMENTS IS FAIRLY NEW BUT FOUR OTHER MD-80 ACFT HAVE EXPERIENCED FALSE WARNINGS AND ALL IN THE AFT PIT. THE RPTR SAID IT IS BELIEVED THAT MOISTURE FROM THE AFT LAVATORY AND WATER SYSTEM COLLECTS ON THE FIRE SENSOR AND TRIGGERS THE FALSE ALARM.

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.

An md-80 in climb at fl 270 declared an emergency and diverted due to aft cargo compartment fire warning.