Narrative:

On base leg for runway 16R at ZZZZ; got the fwd cargo fire warning EICAS message along with the fire bell. I grabbed the qrc and performed the steps there while the first officer continued flying and then got the flight manual out and looked up the rest of the checklist. We were cleared for the ILS approach about this time. As we had a pilot in our jumpseat; I handed him the checklist for the rest of the procedure and had him read it to me as I performed the steps; put out the flaps and gear as the first officer called for them; and ran the final descent checklist. The fire indication went out as soon as the fire bottle was discharged; so I felt that there was no fire. I know this is a chronic problem with the aircraft; particularly those coming from ZZZZ1 as I was delayed one day due to this very problem and had also seen aircraft that had several writeups for false cargo fire warnings. I did not declare an emergency or ask for the equipment due to this. After a normal landing; I had the first officer call the station operations and tell them what had happened and to delay opening the fwd cargo compartment until all the passenger had deplaned. As we pulled into the gate we could see from the reflection in the windows that there were mechanics waiting by the nose area. As soon as we parked; they opened the cargo door even though we had asked them not to. After they had done that; the warning went off and on several times but the mechanic that was on the headset told us there was no indication of fire or smoke but lots of condensation in the compartment when they opened the door. Since this is a re-occurring problem on our fleet; can't something be done to fix this problem? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said this system is a chronic problem that needs correction. This false warning activated on base leg and required the captain's attention with the quick reference checklist for the cargo fire warning procedures. As soon as the fire bottle was discharged; the light went out. When the cargo compartment was opened; a large amount of moisture came out and the reporter indicated that this was the cause of the false warning. The fwd cargo compartment was loaded with a terrible smelling fruit that was reportedly the cause of the moisture.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-400 CAPT RPTS ON BASE LEG; GOT A FWD CARGO FIRE WARNING EICAS AND BELL. FIRE BOTTLE WAS DISCHARGED. FALSE WARNING. THERE WAS HEAVY MOISTURE IN COMPARTMENT WHEN OPENED.

Narrative: ON BASE LEG FOR RWY 16R AT ZZZZ; GOT THE FWD CARGO FIRE WARNING EICAS MESSAGE ALONG WITH THE FIRE BELL. I GRABBED THE QRC AND PERFORMED THE STEPS THERE WHILE THE FO CONTINUED FLYING AND THEN GOT THE FLT MANUAL OUT AND LOOKED UP THE REST OF THE CHKLIST. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE ILS APCH ABOUT THIS TIME. AS WE HAD A PLT IN OUR JUMPSEAT; I HANDED HIM THE CHKLIST FOR THE REST OF THE PROC AND HAD HIM READ IT TO ME AS I PERFORMED THE STEPS; PUT OUT THE FLAPS AND GEAR AS THE FO CALLED FOR THEM; AND RAN THE FINAL DSCNT CHKLIST. THE FIRE INDICATION WENT OUT AS SOON AS THE FIRE BOTTLE WAS DISCHARGED; SO I FELT THAT THERE WAS NO FIRE. I KNOW THIS IS A CHRONIC PROB WITH THE ACFT; PARTICULARLY THOSE COMING FROM ZZZZ1 AS I WAS DELAYED ONE DAY DUE TO THIS VERY PROB AND HAD ALSO SEEN ACFT THAT HAD SEVERAL WRITEUPS FOR FALSE CARGO FIRE WARNINGS. I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER OR ASK FOR THE EQUIP DUE TO THIS. AFTER A NORMAL LNDG; I HAD THE FO CALL THE STATION OPS AND TELL THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND TO DELAY OPENING THE FWD CARGO COMPARTMENT UNTIL ALL THE PAX HAD DEPLANED. AS WE PULLED INTO THE GATE WE COULD SEE FROM THE REFLECTION IN THE WINDOWS THAT THERE WERE MECHANICS WAITING BY THE NOSE AREA. AS SOON AS WE PARKED; THEY OPENED THE CARGO DOOR EVEN THOUGH WE HAD ASKED THEM NOT TO. AFTER THEY HAD DONE THAT; THE WARNING WENT OFF AND ON SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE MECHANIC THAT WAS ON THE HEADSET TOLD US THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF FIRE OR SMOKE BUT LOTS OF CONDENSATION IN THE COMPARTMENT WHEN THEY OPENED THE DOOR. SINCE THIS IS A RE-OCCURRING PROB ON OUR FLEET; CAN'T SOMETHING BE DONE TO FIX THIS PROB? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THIS SYSTEM IS A CHRONIC PROB THAT NEEDS CORRECTION. THIS FALSE WARNING ACTIVATED ON BASE LEG AND REQUIRED THE CAPT'S ATTENTION WITH THE QUICK REFERENCE CHKLIST FOR THE CARGO FIRE WARNING PROCS. AS SOON AS THE FIRE BOTTLE WAS DISCHARGED; THE LIGHT WENT OUT. WHEN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT WAS OPENED; A LARGE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE CAME OUT AND THE RPTR INDICATED THAT THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FALSE WARNING. THE FWD CARGO COMPARTMENT WAS LOADED WITH A TERRIBLE SMELLING FRUIT THAT WAS REPORTEDLY THE CAUSE OF THE MOISTURE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.