Narrative:

After a normal takeoff; first officer called for navigation at about 500 ft per the SID; then at 1000 ft called for the normal clean-up items; 'rate; climb power; flaps up.' after performing the clean-up items; we were instructed to contact departure control. Just then; the right fire warning handle illuminated; the bell rang; and the voice annunciation was heard 'fire; right engine.' the right engine start valve open light was also illuminated on the oap. By the time I had observed the warnings and had begun to comprehend what was happening (about 2-3 seconds) the engine start valve open light and all fire warnings ceased. During the brief period of fire warnings; I was scanning the engine instruments for any sign of fire or damage. No one in the cockpit observed any high engine egt or supporting indications of a fire. My first thought was wondering if I had just seen a false indication. Since the engine fire/damage/separation checklist states that if the engine fire light is not illuminated and engine damage or separation was not suspected; the captain can continue engine operation at idle. Therefore; we did not shut the engine down. My next thought was the history of recent problems experienced by MD80 crews with the start valve opening in-flight; so my first call to departure control was to declare an emergency and request vectors to the ILS (visibility was limited). We climbed to the MVA of 8000 ft and departure gave us a heading toward a downwind. The jumpseater communicated with the flight attendants and I accomplished the before landing checklist. Flight attendants did not report any heat or indication of a fire. I made a brief PA to the passenger informing them that we had an indication of an engine problem and were returning to ZZZ so that maintenance could inspect the engine. Meanwhile; we briefed the ILS approach and planned for a 28 degree flap approach and landing just in case we needed to shut the engine down. Both the first officer and I felt that we would continue to use the right engine since there were no overheat/fire/damage indications. We landed at about 135500 pounds with a smooth touchdown. Crash fire rescue equipment immediately verified that the right engine looked good; no smoke or fire. Approximately time from off to on was about 15 mins. After arriving at the gate; the #2 flight attendant reported that shortly after takeoff she heard a noise similar to the sound of a coffee pot falling from the galley. A non revenue pilot also reported hearing a pop coming from the right engine at an estimated 500-700 ft AGL. He also said he felt a slight shudder. Captain occupying the jumpseat also said he thought he saw the right engine start valve open light illuminate. The art inoperative light was annunciated on the oap because of the standard power takeoff and another annunciation in the oap with the same color and size of letters as art inoperative did not catch my attention during the critical phase of takeoff after V1. Contract maintenance opened the right engine cowling and observed scorch marks on the cowling. He also said the starter and start valve were damaged.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 ENG FIRE WARNING ACTIVATED AND AN ENG START VALVE OPEN LIGHT WAS OBSERVED. FLT CREW DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: AFTER A NORMAL TKOF; FO CALLED FOR NAV AT ABOUT 500 FT PER THE SID; THEN AT 1000 FT CALLED FOR THE NORMAL CLEAN-UP ITEMS; 'RATE; CLB PWR; FLAPS UP.' AFTER PERFORMING THE CLEAN-UP ITEMS; WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT DEP CTL. JUST THEN; THE R FIRE WARNING HANDLE ILLUMINATED; THE BELL RANG; AND THE VOICE ANNUNCIATION WAS HEARD 'FIRE; R ENG.' THE R ENG START VALVE OPEN LIGHT WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED ON THE OAP. BY THE TIME I HAD OBSERVED THE WARNINGS AND HAD BEGUN TO COMPREHEND WHAT WAS HAPPENING (ABOUT 2-3 SECONDS) THE ENG START VALVE OPEN LIGHT AND ALL FIRE WARNINGS CEASED. DURING THE BRIEF PERIOD OF FIRE WARNINGS; I WAS SCANNING THE ENG INSTS FOR ANY SIGN OF FIRE OR DAMAGE. NO ONE IN THE COCKPIT OBSERVED ANY HIGH ENG EGT OR SUPPORTING INDICATIONS OF A FIRE. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS WONDERING IF I HAD JUST SEEN A FALSE INDICATION. SINCE THE ENG FIRE/DAMAGE/SEPARATION CHKLIST STATES THAT IF THE ENG FIRE LIGHT IS NOT ILLUMINATED AND ENG DAMAGE OR SEPARATION WAS NOT SUSPECTED; THE CAPT CAN CONTINUE ENG OP AT IDLE. THEREFORE; WE DID NOT SHUT THE ENG DOWN. MY NEXT THOUGHT WAS THE HISTORY OF RECENT PROBS EXPERIENCED BY MD80 CREWS WITH THE START VALVE OPENING INFLT; SO MY FIRST CALL TO DEP CTL WAS TO DECLARE AN EMER AND REQUEST VECTORS TO THE ILS (VISIBILITY WAS LIMITED). WE CLBED TO THE MVA OF 8000 FT AND DEP GAVE US A HDG TOWARD A DOWNWIND. THE JUMPSEATER COMMUNICATED WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND I ACCOMPLISHED THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST. FLT ATTENDANTS DID NOT RPT ANY HEAT OR INDICATION OF A FIRE. I MADE A BRIEF PA TO THE PAX INFORMING THEM THAT WE HAD AN INDICATION OF AN ENG PROB AND WERE RETURNING TO ZZZ SO THAT MAINT COULD INSPECT THE ENG. MEANWHILE; WE BRIEFED THE ILS APCH AND PLANNED FOR A 28 DEG FLAP APCH AND LNDG JUST IN CASE WE NEEDED TO SHUT THE ENG DOWN. BOTH THE FO AND I FELT THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TO USE THE R ENG SINCE THERE WERE NO OVERHEAT/FIRE/DAMAGE INDICATIONS. WE LANDED AT ABOUT 135500 LBS WITH A SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN. CFR IMMEDIATELY VERIFIED THAT THE R ENG LOOKED GOOD; NO SMOKE OR FIRE. APPROX TIME FROM OFF TO ON WAS ABOUT 15 MINS. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE; THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT SHORTLY AFTER TKOF SHE HEARD A NOISE SIMILAR TO THE SOUND OF A COFFEE POT FALLING FROM THE GALLEY. A NON REVENUE PLT ALSO RPTED HEARING A POP COMING FROM THE R ENG AT AN ESTIMATED 500-700 FT AGL. HE ALSO SAID HE FELT A SLIGHT SHUDDER. CAPT OCCUPYING THE JUMPSEAT ALSO SAID HE THOUGHT HE SAW THE R ENG START VALVE OPEN LIGHT ILLUMINATE. THE ART INOP LIGHT WAS ANNUNCIATED ON THE OAP BECAUSE OF THE STANDARD PWR TKOF AND ANOTHER ANNUNCIATION IN THE OAP WITH THE SAME COLOR AND SIZE OF LETTERS AS ART INOP DID NOT CATCH MY ATTN DURING THE CRITICAL PHASE OF TKOF AFTER V1. CONTRACT MAINT OPENED THE R ENG COWLING AND OBSERVED SCORCH MARKS ON THE COWLING. HE ALSO SAID THE STARTER AND START VALVE WERE DAMAGED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.