An A319 pedestal and overhead #2 fire warning lights illuminated. No aural warning or ECAM message's...

Attributes
ACN	776347
Time
Date	200802
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 12000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 14500 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	776347
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	776204
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fire warning lights other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On departure climbing through 12000 ft; pedestal fire light #2 and overhead #2 fire switch illuminated. No concurrent master caution or ECAM warning were observed. No secondary fire indications from the cabin or cockpit. Advised passenger and flight attendants; declared an emergency with center; returned for uneventful 2-ENG landing. Fire department inspected engine upon landing with no indications of fire. Taxied to gate and shut down normally. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that because no secondary aural or master caution warnings occurred; the flight crew did not see the lights which are out of their normal field of view during a takeoff event. However a jumpseat pilot pointed out the lights to the reporter. The crew assumed an actual fire but had deadheading crew members visually check the engine. The reporter also set the #2 thrust lever at idle; checked the fire warning system and then concluded that the light indications were most probably false. However; because of the potential severe consequences of an in flight fire; the captain left the thrust lever at idle; declared an emergency and returned to land. Maintenance discovered that a circuit board on the overhead panel controlling the #2 fire warning lights had malfunctioned. The board was changed and the reporter flew this aircraft out the next day and did not have a problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 PEDESTAL AND OVERHEAD #2 FIRE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. NO AURAL WARNING OR ECAM MSG'S WITH LIGHTS. AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH A RETURN TO LAND.

Narrative: ON DEP CLBING THROUGH 12000 FT; PEDESTAL FIRE LIGHT #2 AND OVERHEAD #2 FIRE SWITCH ILLUMINATED. NO CONCURRENT MASTER CAUTION OR ECAM WARNING WERE OBSERVED. NO SECONDARY FIRE INDICATIONS FROM THE CABIN OR COCKPIT. ADVISED PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS; DECLARED AN EMER WITH CTR; RETURNED FOR UNEVENTFUL 2-ENG LNDG. FIRE DEPT INSPECTED ENG UPON LNDG WITH NO INDICATIONS OF FIRE. TAXIED TO GATE AND SHUT DOWN NORMALLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT BECAUSE NO SECONDARY AURAL OR MASTER CAUTION WARNINGS OCCURRED; THE FLT CREW DID NOT SEE THE LIGHTS WHICH ARE OUT OF THEIR NORMAL FIELD OF VIEW DURING A TKOF EVENT. HOWEVER A JUMPSEAT PILOT POINTED OUT THE LIGHTS TO THE REPORTER. THE CREW ASSUMED AN ACTUAL FIRE BUT HAD DEADHEADING CREW MEMBERS VISUALLY CHECK THE ENG. THE REPORTER ALSO SET THE #2 THRUST LEVER AT IDLE; CHECKED THE FIRE WARNING SYSTEM AND THEN CONCLUDED THAT THE LIGHT INDICATIONS WERE MOST PROBABLY FALSE. HOWEVER; BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL SEVERE CONSEQUENCES OF AN IN FLT FIRE; THE CAPT LEFT THE THRUST LEVER AT IDLE; DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO LAND. MAINTENANCE DISCOVERED THAT A CIRCUIT BOARD ON THE OVERHEAD PANEL CONTROLLING THE #2 FIRE WARNING LIGHTS HAD MALFUNCTIONED. THE BOARD WAS CHANGED AND THE REPORTER FLEW THIS ACFT OUT THE NEXT DAY AND DID NOT HAVE A PROBLEM.

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.

An A319 pedestal and overhead #2 fire warning lights illuminated. No aural warning or ECAM message's with lights. An emergency was declared with a return to land.