An MD11 flight crew experience a #3 engine fire warning resulting in an emergency landing.

Attributes
ACN	604884
Time
Date	200401
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 12500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-11
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 230
ASRS Report	604884
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fire warning
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Departure from ZZZ, passing 11000-12000 ft, received fire warning indication on #3 engine. Performed phase ones and requested vectors back to ZZZ to land. With throttle at idle, fire indications were intermittent, no secondaries, and fire detection fault #3 was indicated. (Fire detection loop was deferred on #3 and had a long history of problems.) engine was not shut down. Uneventful return land at ZZZ. Fire trucks inspected engine after touchdown. No apparent fire, no FARS violated.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD11 FLT CREW EXPERIENCE A #3 ENG FIRE WARNING RESULTING IN AN EMER LNDG.

Narrative: DEP FROM ZZZ, PASSING 11000-12000 FT, RECEIVED FIRE WARNING INDICATION ON #3 ENG. PERFORMED PHASE ONES AND REQUESTED VECTORS BACK TO ZZZ TO LAND. WITH THROTTLE AT IDLE, FIRE INDICATIONS WERE INTERMITTENT, NO SECONDARIES, AND FIRE DETECTION FAULT #3 WAS INDICATED. (FIRE DETECTION LOOP WAS DEFERRED ON #3 AND HAD A LONG HISTORY OF PROBS.) ENG WAS NOT SHUT DOWN. UNEVENTFUL RETURN LAND AT ZZZ. FIRE TRUCKS INSPECTED ENG AFTER TOUCHDOWN. NO APPARENT FIRE, NO FARS VIOLATED.

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.