An embraer 145 on first flight check of fire warning detection system test immediately after test, b...

Attributes
ACN	599210
Time
Date	200311
Day	Mon
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ric.airport
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	599210
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	599209
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : fault isolation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Chart Or Publication Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Situations
Publication	Flt Ops Manual

Narrative:

On first flight of the day check, immediately after the fire detection test, the bagg extg button light illuminated. During research of the problem, the button was inadvertently tapped, and the bagg ext btl was discharged into an empty and unoccupied cargo compartment. Prevention of this problem should perhaps include an investigation by embraer to keep faulty fire indications from occurring after the system has been tested. Situation ended without incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated this baggage compartment fire bottle discharge problem is chronic and is common to the embraer 145 and 135 aircraft. The reporter said the problem mainly occurs on the first flight of the day when the fire warning detection system is tested and may be related to or caused by a cold soaked airplane. The reporter stated when the fire warning system is tested and the test is good and the warning lights go out, the baggage fire extinguisher button light comes on and if touched the fire bottle discharges. The reporter said the baggage compartment cannot be loaded and must remain empty if the airplane is to be operated with a discharged fire bottle. The reporter stated this is the seventh incident of inadvertent baggage compartment fire bottle discharge after a fire warning detection system test. The reporter said the carrier is going to publish a method of avoiding this problem for the flight manual, but paper will not solve the hardware problem. The reporter stated to clarify the situation and baggage fire warning light and the fire bottle extinguisher light are one and the same. Callback conversation with reporter from acn 599209 revealed the following information: the reporter stated the problem is that after a fire warning test and the lights go out and the aural warning is silent the baggage compartment warning light illuminates. The reporter said this is a memory item and action is required. The reporter stated this is a recurring item and is aware of eight events of this nature.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMBRAER 145 ON FIRST FLT CHK OF FIRE WARNING DETECTION SYSTEM TEST IMMEDIATELY AFTER TEST, BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT EXTINGUISHER LIGHT COMES ON. WHEN BUTTON TOUCHED, BOTTLE DISCHARGES INTO COMPARTMENT.

Narrative: ON FIRST FLT OF THE DAY CHECK, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FIRE DETECTION TEST, THE BAGG EXTG BUTTON LIGHT ILLUMINATED. DURING RESEARCH OF THE PROB, THE BUTTON WAS INADVERTENTLY TAPPED, AND THE BAGG EXT BTL WAS DISCHARGED INTO AN EMPTY AND UNOCCUPIED CARGO COMPARTMENT. PREVENTION OF THIS PROB SHOULD PERHAPS INCLUDE AN INVESTIGATION BY EMBRAER TO KEEP FAULTY FIRE INDICATIONS FROM OCCURRING AFTER THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN TESTED. SIT ENDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THIS BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT FIRE BOTTLE DISCHARGE PROB IS CHRONIC AND IS COMMON TO THE EMBRAER 145 AND 135 ACFT. THE RPTR SAID THE PROB MAINLY OCCURS ON THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY WHEN THE FIRE WARNING DETECTION SYSTEM IS TESTED AND MAY BE RELATED TO OR CAUSED BY A COLD SOAKED AIRPLANE. THE RPTR STATED WHEN THE FIRE WARNING SYSTEM IS TESTED AND THE TEST IS GOOD AND THE WARNING LIGHTS GO OUT, THE BAGGAGE FIRE EXTINGUISHER BUTTON LIGHT COMES ON AND IF TOUCHED THE FIRE BOTTLE DISCHARGES. THE RPTR SAID THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT CANNOT BE LOADED AND MUST REMAIN EMPTY IF THE AIRPLANE IS TO BE OPERATED WITH A DISCHARGED FIRE BOTTLE. THE RPTR STATED THIS IS THE SEVENTH INCIDENT OF INADVERTENT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT FIRE BOTTLE DISCHARGE AFTER A FIRE WARNING DETECTION SYSTEM TEST. THE RPTR SAID THE CARRIER IS GOING TO PUBLISH A METHOD OF AVOIDING THIS PROB FOR THE FLT MANUAL, BUT PAPER WILL NOT SOLVE THE HARDWARE PROB. THE RPTR STATED TO CLARIFY THE SIT AND BAGGAGE FIRE WARNING LIGHT AND THE FIRE BOTTLE EXTINGUISHER LIGHT ARE ONE AND THE SAME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR FROM ACN 599209 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE PROB IS THAT AFTER A FIRE WARNING TEST AND THE LIGHTS GO OUT AND THE AURAL WARNING IS SILENT THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES. THE RPTR SAID THIS IS A MEMORY ITEM AND ACTION IS REQUIRED. THE RPTR STATED THIS IS A RECURRING ITEM AND IS AWARE OF EIGHT EVENTS OF THIS NATURE.

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 embraer 145 on first flight check of fire warning detection system test immediately after test, baggage compartment extinguisher light comes on. When button touched, bottle discharges into compartment.