Narrative:

We were in normal cruise at FL360 between doner and dopps when aft cargo fire (red) EICAS message displayed with aural warning. Went immediately to aft cargo fire (electrical) checklist and armed aft bottles and pushed discharge switch, completed checklist, and concurred to divert to sfo. First officer asked purser to inspect aft cabin area for abnormal conditions, faint smell found, called comrdo for clearance to sfo and turned aircraft 180 degrees on 25 NM offset to parallel R-576 on north side, (while notifying other aircraft on frequency and ATC mayday), called dispatch on satcom also. Was told by comrdo that other aircraft were at FL360, FL350, and FL340, obtained clearance to FL330 and direct to sfo when level. Notified purser of situation and diverted to sfo with 1 hour remaining. Flight attendants reported alarm sound under aft cabin floor. ATC asked military A-6 in area to join up and do visual inspection. We were told that we had something trailing from aft horizontal stabilizer, but structure looked fine. Told ATC and dispatch we were going to land on runway 28R and we wanted airstairs available to deplane passenger prior to opening aft cargo pits. In case of flash fire when opening (as stated in emergency checklist) exited runway 28R, told passenger to 'remain seated,' asked tower and ground control for visual check (which was normal). Told fire department I would give them signal to open cargo doors, deplaned passenger into busses without carry-ONS and then gave ok to open aft cargo doors. Appeared to be false indication by fire department inspection. Bussed passenger to main terminal and towed aircraft to the gate where passenger retrieved their carry-ONS. We were told by sfo security they didn't want passenger on ramp. Changed planes and gate, and departed approximately 7 hours late for hnl. Ground crew were slow to bring airstairs even though we gave them at least 30 mins warning! They wanted us to go to terminal with possible fire when pits were opened! We felt it was safer to have aircraft away from terminal and congestion and closer to runway 28R exit path. No injuries reported in orderly exit of aircraft by passenger. Several passenger made favorable comments to flight attendants and pilots on how situation was handled.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 FLC DECLARE AN EMER DUE TO CARGO FIRE WARNING AND DIVERT TO ANOTHER ARPT. PAX WERE DEPLANED VIA AIRSTAIRS NEAR SIDE OF RWY AND CARGO BINS INSPECTED. NO FIRE EVIDENT.

Narrative: WE WERE IN NORMAL CRUISE AT FL360 BTWN DONER AND DOPPS WHEN AFT CARGO FIRE (RED) EICAS MESSAGE DISPLAYED WITH AURAL WARNING. WENT IMMEDIATELY TO AFT CARGO FIRE (ELECTRICAL) CHKLIST AND ARMED AFT BOTTLES AND PUSHED DISCHARGE SWITCH, COMPLETED CHKLIST, AND CONCURRED TO DIVERT TO SFO. FO ASKED PURSER TO INSPECT AFT CABIN AREA FOR ABNORMAL CONDITIONS, FAINT SMELL FOUND, CALLED COMRDO FOR CLRNC TO SFO AND TURNED ACFT 180 DEGS ON 25 NM OFFSET TO PARALLEL R-576 ON N SIDE, (WHILE NOTIFYING OTHER ACFT ON FREQ AND ATC MAYDAY), CALLED DISPATCH ON SATCOM ALSO. WAS TOLD BY COMRDO THAT OTHER ACFT WERE AT FL360, FL350, AND FL340, OBTAINED CLRNC TO FL330 AND DIRECT TO SFO WHEN LEVEL. NOTIFIED PURSER OF SIT AND DIVERTED TO SFO WITH 1 HR REMAINING. FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED ALARM SOUND UNDER AFT CABIN FLOOR. ATC ASKED MIL A-6 IN AREA TO JOIN UP AND DO VISUAL INSPECTION. WE WERE TOLD THAT WE HAD SOMETHING TRAILING FROM AFT HORIZ STABILIZER, BUT STRUCTURE LOOKED FINE. TOLD ATC AND DISPATCH WE WERE GOING TO LAND ON RWY 28R AND WE WANTED AIRSTAIRS AVAILABLE TO DEPLANE PAX PRIOR TO OPENING AFT CARGO PITS. IN CASE OF FLASH FIRE WHEN OPENING (AS STATED IN EMER CHKLIST) EXITED RWY 28R, TOLD PAX TO 'REMAIN SEATED,' ASKED TWR AND GND CTL FOR VISUAL CHK (WHICH WAS NORMAL). TOLD FIRE DEPT I WOULD GIVE THEM SIGNAL TO OPEN CARGO DOORS, DEPLANED PAX INTO BUSSES WITHOUT CARRY-ONS AND THEN GAVE OK TO OPEN AFT CARGO DOORS. APPEARED TO BE FALSE INDICATION BY FIRE DEPT INSPECTION. BUSSED PAX TO MAIN TERMINAL AND TOWED ACFT TO THE GATE WHERE PAX RETRIEVED THEIR CARRY-ONS. WE WERE TOLD BY SFO SECURITY THEY DIDN'T WANT PAX ON RAMP. CHANGED PLANES AND GATE, AND DEPARTED APPROX 7 HRS LATE FOR HNL. GND CREW WERE SLOW TO BRING AIRSTAIRS EVEN THOUGH WE GAVE THEM AT LEAST 30 MINS WARNING! THEY WANTED US TO GO TO TERMINAL WITH POSSIBLE FIRE WHEN PITS WERE OPENED! WE FELT IT WAS SAFER TO HAVE ACFT AWAY FROM TERMINAL AND CONGESTION AND CLOSER TO RWY 28R EXIT PATH. NO INJURIES RPTED IN ORDERLY EXIT OF ACFT BY PAX. SEVERAL PAX MADE FAVORABLE COMMENTS TO FLT ATTENDANTS AND PLTS ON HOW SIT WAS HANDLED.

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.