MD80 flight crew has repeated momentary cargo fire warnings during cruise; discharges fire bottle an...

Attributes
ACN	696040
Time
Date	200605
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : bearz
State Reference	IN
Altitude	msl single value : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : c90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	696040
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	696041
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : cargo fire warning other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

We were alerted to an unknown alarm in the cockpit while on the ground during boarding in ord approximately 20 mins prior to departure. It was a momentary beeping of which the duration did not exceed 2 seconds. Unable to spot anything obvious; I pressed to test the cargo fire test button and that seemed to duplicate the warning. We observed the cargo doors were open and figured it must have been an erroneous warning. En route to dca another momentary warning not exceeding 2 seconds. This time we spotted the aft cargo light just before the warning stopped. We asked the flight attendants to be alert but nothing more happened and we arrived dca without further incident. On my walkaround in dca I spent some time observing the aft cargo hold for anything at all abnormal. Nothing noted. Reported same to captain. On descent into ord; warning alerted us intermittently again (aft cargo). Again we asked flight attendants to be alert and checked QRH. Although we agreed it was a faulty alert we discharged a bottle and proceeded without further incident to ord. Maintenance met us on arrival and confirmed alerts to be from a malfunctioning system.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW HAS REPEATED MOMENTARY CARGO FIRE WARNINGS DURING CRUISE; DISCHARGES FIRE BOTTLE AND LANDS.

Narrative: WE WERE ALERTED TO AN UNKNOWN ALARM IN THE COCKPIT WHILE ON THE GND DURING BOARDING IN ORD APPROX 20 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. IT WAS A MOMENTARY BEEPING OF WHICH THE DURATION DID NOT EXCEED 2 SECONDS. UNABLE TO SPOT ANYTHING OBVIOUS; I PRESSED TO TEST THE CARGO FIRE TEST BUTTON AND THAT SEEMED TO DUPLICATE THE WARNING. WE OBSERVED THE CARGO DOORS WERE OPEN AND FIGURED IT MUST HAVE BEEN AN ERRONEOUS WARNING. ENRTE TO DCA ANOTHER MOMENTARY WARNING NOT EXCEEDING 2 SECONDS. THIS TIME WE SPOTTED THE AFT CARGO LIGHT JUST BEFORE THE WARNING STOPPED. WE ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO BE ALERT BUT NOTHING MORE HAPPENED AND WE ARRIVED DCA WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. ON MY WALKAROUND IN DCA I SPENT SOME TIME OBSERVING THE AFT CARGO HOLD FOR ANYTHING AT ALL ABNORMAL. NOTHING NOTED. RPTED SAME TO CAPT. ON DSCNT INTO ORD; WARNING ALERTED US INTERMITTENTLY AGAIN (AFT CARGO). AGAIN WE ASKED FLT ATTENDANTS TO BE ALERT AND CHKED QRH. ALTHOUGH WE AGREED IT WAS A FAULTY ALERT WE DISCHARGED A BOTTLE AND PROCEEDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT TO ORD. MAINT MET US ON ARR AND CONFIRMED ALERTS TO BE FROM A MALFUNCTIONING SYS.

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.

MD80 flight crew has repeated momentary cargo fire warnings during cruise; discharges fire bottle and lands.