Narrative:

On takeoff the left engine fire warning came on. The left engine red fire warning came on and an audible fire warning; but no loop lights and the egt was in limits (high near orange line but in limits; both EPR's were matched; at 1.87-1.90). The first officer was flying and I had him level the aircraft at 5000 ft MSL; and I notified the departure controller that we were declaring an emergency; to dispatch the arff and that we had a fire warning; no fire indications but a warning. I then went to tower and we notified them of the problem and intent to land. I gave 4 bells on the chime and the flight attendants all came on the interphone; I informed them and then said I would notify the passenger; which I did; but the PA did not work? I once again made a PA before landing to tell the passenger we would have the fire department check us out once we landed; that also did not work? Once on the ground and after fire #1 had said we were ok; I told the passenger the aircraft was ok and we were returning to the gate. Airborne; I ran the loop test to verify the loop lights and checked the egt for the 3RD time and all were normal. I elected not to fire a bottle at that time and told the first officer we were setting up to land. I set his radios up and set up landing data for heavy aircraft. He flew it like a single engine; but at 2 mi using a lot of power and due to our heavy weight and the altitude I told him to fly it as a 40 degree flap landing and he did. I made that decision based on the conditions and the fact no fire was indicated; only the warning; which now was out. He made a nice approach and landed normally; with normal touchdown. I did not have time to do a full single engine landing checklist since our time from initial warning until landing was rather quick. I did run the fire damage checklist which said stop if out and land; which we did. We had 2 engines so I wanted him to treat it as close to a normal landing as he could; only heavier. He did a nice job. I am not sure why the PA did not work; but no one heard the PA as to the initial problem and that we were returning to land? I wrote that up as well as the warning and the heavy weight landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 ENG FIRE WARNING WITH THE LIGHT AND BELL CAME ON AFTER TKOF. THE CAPT DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO LAND. NO FIRE WAS DISCOVERED.

Narrative: ON TKOF THE L ENG FIRE WARNING CAME ON. THE L ENG RED FIRE WARNING CAME ON AND AN AUDIBLE FIRE WARNING; BUT NO LOOP LIGHTS AND THE EGT WAS IN LIMITS (HIGH NEAR ORANGE LINE BUT IN LIMITS; BOTH EPR'S WERE MATCHED; AT 1.87-1.90). THE FO WAS FLYING AND I HAD HIM LEVEL THE ACFT AT 5000 FT MSL; AND I NOTIFIED THE DEP CTLR THAT WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER; TO DISPATCH THE ARFF AND THAT WE HAD A FIRE WARNING; NO FIRE INDICATIONS BUT A WARNING. I THEN WENT TO TWR AND WE NOTIFIED THEM OF THE PROB AND INTENT TO LAND. I GAVE 4 BELLS ON THE CHIME AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS ALL CAME ON THE INTERPHONE; I INFORMED THEM AND THEN SAID I WOULD NOTIFY THE PAX; WHICH I DID; BUT THE PA DID NOT WORK? I ONCE AGAIN MADE A PA BEFORE LNDG TO TELL THE PAX WE WOULD HAVE THE FIRE DEPT CHK US OUT ONCE WE LANDED; THAT ALSO DID NOT WORK? ONCE ON THE GND AND AFTER FIRE #1 HAD SAID WE WERE OK; I TOLD THE PAX THE ACFT WAS OK AND WE WERE RETURNING TO THE GATE. AIRBORNE; I RAN THE LOOP TEST TO VERIFY THE LOOP LIGHTS AND CHKED THE EGT FOR THE 3RD TIME AND ALL WERE NORMAL. I ELECTED NOT TO FIRE A BOTTLE AT THAT TIME AND TOLD THE FO WE WERE SETTING UP TO LAND. I SET HIS RADIOS UP AND SET UP LNDG DATA FOR HVY ACFT. HE FLEW IT LIKE A SINGLE ENG; BUT AT 2 MI USING A LOT OF PWR AND DUE TO OUR HVY WT AND THE ALT I TOLD HIM TO FLY IT AS A 40 DEG FLAP LNDG AND HE DID. I MADE THAT DECISION BASED ON THE CONDITIONS AND THE FACT NO FIRE WAS INDICATED; ONLY THE WARNING; WHICH NOW WAS OUT. HE MADE A NICE APCH AND LANDED NORMALLY; WITH NORMAL TOUCHDOWN. I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO DO A FULL SINGLE ENG LNDG CHKLIST SINCE OUR TIME FROM INITIAL WARNING UNTIL LNDG WAS RATHER QUICK. I DID RUN THE FIRE DAMAGE CHKLIST WHICH SAID STOP IF OUT AND LAND; WHICH WE DID. WE HAD 2 ENGS SO I WANTED HIM TO TREAT IT AS CLOSE TO A NORMAL LNDG AS HE COULD; ONLY HEAVIER. HE DID A NICE JOB. I AM NOT SURE WHY THE PA DID NOT WORK; BUT NO ONE HEARD THE PA AS TO THE INITIAL PROB AND THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO LAND? I WROTE THAT UP AS WELL AS THE WARNING AND THE HVY WT LNDG.

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.