Narrative:

During takeoff prior to reaching 1000 ft, right engine tailpipe hot light illuminated. First officer, who was flying, performed memory items - epc - followed by aom vol 1. Light did not extinguish and proceeded with right engine shutdown. Declared an emergency. Advised flight attendant and passenger. Flight attendant advised that right engine appeared to be normal (no fire). I (the captain), became the flying pilot when it was determined to proceed with the engine shutdown procedure. Returned to ZZZ and landed safely. Flight uneventful. Emergency personnel determined that there appeared to be no fire, and we taxied to the gate. Weather conditions were IMC ceiling approximately 300 ft and visibility 2 miles. Temperature 17 degrees C. Raining and at night. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated in his eight years flying this airplane and knowing the chronic problem of false tailpipe 'hot' warnings, this is his first. The reporter said when it rains, water seeps into the tailpipe area and does not drain out. The reporter stated with the engines at a high power setting, the water flashes to steam, triggering the sensor loop and illuminating the tailpipe 'hot' warning light. The reporter said by the book, the engine must be shut down even though a false warning is suspected. The reporter stated on the night of this incident and the weather conditions present, it was hard shutting down that engine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SAAB 340B ON TKOF CLB AT 1000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO ENG TAILPIPE 'HOT' LIGHT ILLUMINATED. R ENG SHUT DOWN.

Narrative: DURING TKOF PRIOR TO REACHING 1000 FT, R ENG TAILPIPE HOT LIGHT ILLUMINATED. FO, WHO WAS FLYING, PERFORMED MEMORY ITEMS - EPC - FOLLOWED BY AOM VOL 1. LIGHT DID NOT EXTINGUISH AND PROCEEDED WITH R ENG SHUTDOWN. DECLARED AN EMER. ADVISED FA AND PAX. FA ADVISED THAT R ENG APPEARED TO BE NORMAL (NO FIRE). I (THE CAPT), BECAME THE FLYING PILOT WHEN IT WAS DETERMINED TO PROCEED WITH THE ENG SHUTDOWN PROC. RETURNED TO ZZZ AND LANDED SAFELY. FLT UNEVENTFUL. EMER PERSONNEL DETERMINED THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE NO FIRE, AND WE TAXIED TO THE GATE. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE IMC CEILING APPROX 300 FT AND VISIBILITY 2 MILES. TEMP 17 DEGS C. RAINING AND AT NIGHT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED IN HIS EIGHT YEARS FLYING THIS AIRPLANE AND KNOWING THE CHRONIC PROB OF FALSE TAILPIPE 'HOT' WARNINGS, THIS IS HIS FIRST. THE RPTR SAID WHEN IT RAINS, WATER SEEPS INTO THE TAILPIPE AREA AND DOES NOT DRAIN OUT. THE RPTR STATED WITH THE ENGS AT A HIGH POWER SETTING, THE WATER FLASHES TO STEAM, TRIGGERING THE SENSOR LOOP AND ILLUMINATING THE TAILPIPE 'HOT' WARNING LIGHT. THE RPTR SAID BY THE BOOK, THE ENG MUST BE SHUT DOWN EVEN THOUGH A FALSE WARNING IS SUSPECTED. THE RPTR STATED ON THE NIGHT OF THIS INCIDENT AND THE WEATHER CONDITIONS PRESENT, IT WAS HARD SHUTTING DOWN THAT ENG.

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.