Narrative:

'Tail compartment temperature high' light illuminated during climb out at 7500 ft MSL. Red box items performed; emergency declared with departure control. Light went out after several minutes. Remainder of the checklist accomplished. Returned to runway 17R. Landed overweight at 139200 pounds. Rate of descent at touchdown 300 FPM. Fire trucks scanned tail with infrared scanner. No abnormal heat noted by fire trucks. Returned to gate. This was the third consecutive flight with this aircraft that had a 'tail compartment temperature high' light. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that because of the rear mounted engines and the location of the air conditioning packs; also located in the tail compartments; a lot of high temperature pneumatic air is moved through ducting in the tail compartment. The reporter stated that he believes this airplane has a bleed leak in one or both of the tail compartments. The reporter indicated the procedure if a red tail high temperature warning light is illuminated; is to land the airplane immediately as it is the same urgency as a fire warning. The reporter reflected; the thing that is upsetting is; this event happened with three consecutive flts with no positive fix. The reporter indicated that two temperature sensors are in the circuit; one in the left compartment and one in the right compartment; and they directly turn on the warning light when the temperature exceeds 180 degrees; adding that one or both must be triggered by a bleed duct leak.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 IN CLBOUT AT 7500 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO A TAIL COMPARTMENT HIGH TEMP WARNING LIGHT.

Narrative: 'TAIL COMPARTMENT TEMP HIGH' LIGHT ILLUMINATED DURING CLBOUT AT 7500 FT MSL. RED BOX ITEMS PERFORMED; EMER DECLARED WITH DEP CTL. LIGHT WENT OUT AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES. REMAINDER OF THE CHKLIST ACCOMPLISHED. RETURNED TO RWY 17R. LANDED OVERWT AT 139200 LBS. RATE OF DSCNT AT TOUCHDOWN 300 FPM. FIRE TRUCKS SCANNED TAIL WITH INFRARED SCANNER. NO ABNORMAL HEAT NOTED BY FIRE TRUCKS. RETURNED TO GATE. THIS WAS THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE FLT WITH THIS ACFT THAT HAD A 'TAIL COMPARTMENT TEMP HIGH' LIGHT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT BECAUSE OF THE REAR MOUNTED ENGS AND THE LOCATION OF THE AIR CONDITIONING PACKS; ALSO LOCATED IN THE TAIL COMPARTMENTS; A LOT OF HIGH TEMP PNEUMATIC AIR IS MOVED THROUGH DUCTING IN THE TAIL COMPARTMENT. THE RPTR STATED THAT HE BELIEVES THIS AIRPLANE HAS A BLEED LEAK IN ONE OR BOTH OF THE TAIL COMPARTMENTS. THE RPTR INDICATED THE PROC IF A RED TAIL HIGH TEMP WARNING LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED; IS TO LAND THE AIRPLANE IMMEDIATELY AS IT IS THE SAME URGENCY AS A FIRE WARNING. THE RPTR REFLECTED; THE THING THAT IS UPSETTING IS; THIS EVENT HAPPENED WITH THREE CONSECUTIVE FLTS WITH NO POSITIVE FIX. THE RPTR INDICATED THAT TWO TEMP SENSORS ARE IN THE CIRCUIT; ONE IN THE L COMPARTMENT AND ONE IN THE R COMPARTMENT; AND THEY DIRECTLY TURN ON THE WARNING LIGHT WHEN THE TEMP EXCEEDS 180 DEGS; ADDING THAT ONE OR BOTH MUST BE TRIGGERED BY A BLEED DUCT LEAK.

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.