Narrative:

Departed at XA00, off at XA12 CST. Approximately 75 NM from original city during departure with climb power. At FL250, #2 engine overheat light flickered on 3-4 times, several times more during references to QRH. QRH engine overheat actions were taken with overheat light extinguished, never to illuminate again except during system tests. After successful and normal overheat/fire system test being performed, selectively placed #2 fire loop switch from normal loop a and B. Fault light came on with loop a only selected with additional references to QRH. Contacted maintenance for additional suggestions of system checks and any recommendations of corrective actions. No assistance given except adhere to QRH fault light. Flight attendants and passenger advised of turn back due to 'problem with engine maintenance monitoring system and not being repairable in destination city.' contacted ATC for turn back and recovery with immediate descent and arrival condition with center and arrival. No emergency declared with ATC. Advised of returning for maintenance items only. Due to time compression, explanation to flight attendants, extensive ATC coordination, and routing, and advising 3 different controllers of nature of problems, dispatch was not advised. Return was uneventful with reduced thrust as required on #2 engine for normal flap 30 degree approach. Landing runway 25L with arrival at gate at XA55 CST. Contact was made with dispatch and maintenance control immediately upon arrival at gate. Apologies and explanations were made to dispatch for non-contact. Aircraft had history of similar problem with last event on sep/thur/02, which was 2 days prior to first page in logbook. Maintenance control agreed with crew actions, checking of test system for fault light, and turn back for corrective repairs. Assistant chief was contacted within 15 mins of arrival with full explanations of events. Upon advice from chief pilot, as soon as possible actions were initiated with written reports to follow. Crew and passenger were xferred to second aircraft within 1 1/2 hours of arrival for uneventful flight. Supplemental information from acn 560560: flight departed. I was PF. During climb out, passing approximately 25000 ft, we experienced an intermittent #2 engine overheat light. We retarded the thrust lever without result. The overheat light continued to flicker but never illuminated steadily. The captain attempting to troubleshoot selected 'a' loop and got a 'fault' light, flickering ceased. He then selected 'B' loop, and got an intermittent overheat once again. After a very brief conversation with maintenance, he elected to return to original city. The subsequent approach and landing were uneventful, no further problems noted. I feel we handled the situation well. The captain ran the appropriate checklists before attempting to fix the problem. He let the QRH do its job in troubleshooting and then made the decision to return. I was flying and continued to do so while he sorted things out. We each fulfilled our roles and brought the situation to a successful end.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW HAD ENG OVERHEAT WARNINGS FROM BOTH A AND B LOOP SENSORS.

Narrative: DEPARTED AT XA00, OFF AT XA12 CST. APPROX 75 NM FROM ORIGINAL CITY DURING DEP WITH CLB PWR. AT FL250, #2 ENG OVERHEAT LIGHT FLICKERED ON 3-4 TIMES, SEVERAL TIMES MORE DURING REFS TO QRH. QRH ENG OVERHEAT ACTIONS WERE TAKEN WITH OVERHEAT LIGHT EXTINGUISHED, NEVER TO ILLUMINATE AGAIN EXCEPT DURING SYS TESTS. AFTER SUCCESSFUL AND NORMAL OVERHEAT/FIRE SYS TEST BEING PERFORMED, SELECTIVELY PLACED #2 FIRE LOOP SWITCH FROM NORMAL LOOP A AND B. FAULT LIGHT CAME ON WITH LOOP A ONLY SELECTED WITH ADDITIONAL REFS TO QRH. CONTACTED MAINT FOR ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS OF SYS CHKS AND ANY RECOMMENDATIONS OF CORRECTIVE ACTIONS. NO ASSISTANCE GIVEN EXCEPT ADHERE TO QRH FAULT LIGHT. FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX ADVISED OF TURN BACK DUE TO 'PROB WITH ENG MAINT MONITORING SYS AND NOT BEING REPAIRABLE IN DEST CITY.' CONTACTED ATC FOR TURN BACK AND RECOVERY WITH IMMEDIATE DSCNT AND ARR CONDITION WITH CTR AND ARR. NO EMER DECLARED WITH ATC. ADVISED OF RETURNING FOR MAINT ITEMS ONLY. DUE TO TIME COMPRESSION, EXPLANATION TO FLT ATTENDANTS, EXTENSIVE ATC COORD, AND ROUTING, AND ADVISING 3 DIFFERENT CTLRS OF NATURE OF PROBS, DISPATCH WAS NOT ADVISED. RETURN WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH REDUCED THRUST AS REQUIRED ON #2 ENG FOR NORMAL FLAP 30 DEG APCH. LNDG RWY 25L WITH ARR AT GATE AT XA55 CST. CONTACT WAS MADE WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL IMMEDIATELY UPON ARR AT GATE. APOLOGIES AND EXPLANATIONS WERE MADE TO DISPATCH FOR NON-CONTACT. ACFT HAD HISTORY OF SIMILAR PROB WITH LAST EVENT ON SEP/THUR/02, WHICH WAS 2 DAYS PRIOR TO FIRST PAGE IN LOGBOOK. MAINT CTL AGREED WITH CREW ACTIONS, CHKING OF TEST SYS FOR FAULT LIGHT, AND TURN BACK FOR CORRECTIVE REPAIRS. ASSISTANT CHIEF WAS CONTACTED WITHIN 15 MINS OF ARR WITH FULL EXPLANATIONS OF EVENTS. UPON ADVICE FROM CHIEF PLT, ASAP ACTIONS WERE INITIATED WITH WRITTEN RPTS TO FOLLOW. CREW AND PAX WERE XFERRED TO SECOND ACFT WITHIN 1 1/2 HRS OF ARR FOR UNEVENTFUL FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 560560: FLT DEPARTED. I WAS PF. DURING CLBOUT, PASSING APPROX 25000 FT, WE EXPERIENCED AN INTERMITTENT #2 ENG OVERHEAT LIGHT. WE RETARDED THE THRUST LEVER WITHOUT RESULT. THE OVERHEAT LIGHT CONTINUED TO FLICKER BUT NEVER ILLUMINATED STEADILY. THE CAPT ATTEMPTING TO TROUBLESHOOT SELECTED 'A' LOOP AND GOT A 'FAULT' LIGHT, FLICKERING CEASED. HE THEN SELECTED 'B' LOOP, AND GOT AN INTERMITTENT OVERHEAT ONCE AGAIN. AFTER A VERY BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH MAINT, HE ELECTED TO RETURN TO ORIGINAL CITY. THE SUBSEQUENT APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL, NO FURTHER PROBS NOTED. I FEEL WE HANDLED THE SIT WELL. THE CAPT RAN THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO FIX THE PROB. HE LET THE QRH DO ITS JOB IN TROUBLESHOOTING AND THEN MADE THE DECISION TO RETURN. I WAS FLYING AND CONTINUED TO DO SO WHILE HE SORTED THINGS OUT. WE EACH FULFILLED OUR ROLES AND BROUGHT THE SIT TO A SUCCESSFUL END.

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.