Narrative:

We pushed back 3 mins early; taxi delays due to WX reroutes. Took off 1 hour late. Normal departure. Estimate on climb out between 12-14000 ft call from purser concerning excessive heat from the floor at 2A. Selected cooler a/C temperature; no change. Selected standby normal; no change. Selected trim air off; no change. I was on interphone with purser most of the time relaying information to captain. They called maintenance who had nothing to add. Captain sitting in first class assessed the air coming from floor as 'not normal.' called dispatch and decided to return to airport. Purser then called stating that there were 'red striations behind the sidewall.' I had a hard time visualizing what she was saying so I asked the captain if I could go back. He agreed and I went back and saw what appeared as red led lights shining through the sidewall in patches about the size of a quarter or fifty cent piece. I returned to the cockpit where we declared an emergency; began dumping fuel and making game plan. We calculated an overweight landing; computed landing distance and finished fuel dumping. Dumped 10-12;000 pounds from center tank. Asked for runway 28 and for the equipment to be standing by. Attempted to select flaps to 25 degrees; flaps went to 25 degrees then returned to 20 degrees and we got asymmetry warning on short final. Landed flaps 20 degrees; 160 KTS; 340000 pounds runway 28 stopped on runway; was inspected by fire equipment and was cleared to taxi to the gate. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised the high temperature was the result of an air conditioning trim air valve stuck in the full hot position. The red lights appear to have been mysterious. Maintenance pulled off the panel behind which they appeared to have emanating and there was no source of a light of any kind and that the panel through which it appeared to appear was totally opaque. Reporter noted that numerous people saw the lights; including a company captain; an a&P mechanic and himself.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HIGH CABIN TEMPERATURE AND STRANGE RED LIGHTS IN SIDE PANEL CAUSE A RETURN TO DEP STATION FOR B767-300.

Narrative: WE PUSHED BACK 3 MINS EARLY; TAXI DELAYS DUE TO WX REROUTES. TOOK OFF 1 HR LATE. NORMAL DEP. ESTIMATE ON CLBOUT BTWN 12-14000 FT CALL FROM PURSER CONCERNING EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM THE FLOOR AT 2A. SELECTED COOLER A/C TEMP; NO CHANGE. SELECTED STANDBY NORMAL; NO CHANGE. SELECTED TRIM AIR OFF; NO CHANGE. I WAS ON INTERPHONE WITH PURSER MOST OF THE TIME RELAYING INFO TO CAPT. THEY CALLED MAINT WHO HAD NOTHING TO ADD. CAPT SITTING IN FIRST CLASS ASSESSED THE AIR COMING FROM FLOOR AS 'NOT NORMAL.' CALLED DISPATCH AND DECIDED TO RETURN TO ARPT. PURSER THEN CALLED STATING THAT THERE WERE 'RED STRIATIONS BEHIND THE SIDEWALL.' I HAD A HARD TIME VISUALIZING WHAT SHE WAS SAYING SO I ASKED THE CAPT IF I COULD GO BACK. HE AGREED AND I WENT BACK AND SAW WHAT APPEARED AS RED LED LIGHTS SHINING THROUGH THE SIDEWALL IN PATCHES ABOUT THE SIZE OF A QUARTER OR FIFTY CENT PIECE. I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT WHERE WE DECLARED AN EMER; BEGAN DUMPING FUEL AND MAKING GAME PLAN. WE CALCULATED AN OVERWT LNDG; COMPUTED LNDG DISTANCE AND FINISHED FUEL DUMPING. DUMPED 10-12;000 LBS FROM CTR TANK. ASKED FOR RWY 28 AND FOR THE EQUIP TO BE STANDING BY. ATTEMPTED TO SELECT FLAPS TO 25 DEGS; FLAPS WENT TO 25 DEGS THEN RETURNED TO 20 DEGS AND WE GOT ASYMMETRY WARNING ON SHORT FINAL. LANDED FLAPS 20 DEGS; 160 KTS; 340000 LBS RWY 28 STOPPED ON RWY; WAS INSPECTED BY FIRE EQUIP AND WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO THE GATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER ADVISED THE HIGH TEMP WAS THE RESULT OF AN AIR CONDITIONING TRIM AIR VALVE STUCK IN THE FULL HOT POSITION. THE RED LIGHTS APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN MYSTERIOUS. MAINT PULLED OFF THE PANEL BEHIND WHICH THEY APPEARED TO HAVE EMANATING AND THERE WAS NO SOURCE OF A LIGHT OF ANY KIND AND THAT THE PANEL THROUGH WHICH IT APPEARED TO APPEAR WAS TOTALLY OPAQUE. REPORTER NOTED THAT NUMEROUS PEOPLE SAW THE LIGHTS; INCLUDING A COMPANY CAPTAIN; AN A&P MECHANIC AND HIMSELF.

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.