Narrative:

Takeoff weight: 166069 pounds. Fuel on board: 34000 pounds. Payload: 42430 pounds. Aircraft departed with flaps 25 degrees. During en route climb passing FL210; #2 engine fire handle illuminated with simultaneous fire bell alarm. I silenced the fire bell and observed no changes with engine #2's engine instruments. The flight engineer indicated no abnormal indications on his panel; including no indication of an engine strut or lower aft overheat. I leveled off the aircraft at FL215 when a second fire bell alarm sounded. I instructed first officer (IOE captain) to declare an emergency to center and request an immediate descent. Center granted our request for an immediate descent and acknowledged our emergency declaration. We requested the proximity of nearest airports from center and at the same time I scrolled through my GPS unit for nearest airports. Center informed us of 2 airports in the area and I elected to go to ZZZ; as it was approximately 80 NM away and I was familiar with the airport runways and confident that crash fire rescue equipment services were available. Since we needed to lose 21000 ft; I believed that a normal descent would put us in position for a normal landing at ZZZ and not overstress the aircraft (in the event of structural damage); and give the crew time to perform the proper procedure(south) and secure the #2 engine. I called for the engine fire checklist and instructed the flight engineer to work with the first officer on the checklist(south) while I flew the aircraft and handled the radio. I informed center of my intention to go to ZZZ. Center cleared us direct to ZZZ and I turned the aircraft direct towards it. During our descent; the engine fire bell sounded off numerous times. The #2 fire handle continued to remain illuminated. Not knowing the actual condition of the event; the crew followed procedure and discharged the first fire bottle. The #2 engine fire handle continued to remain illuminated after 30 seconds; so the crew discharged the second fire bottle. The #2 fire handle remained illuminated and the fire alarm repeatedly kept sounding. Per procedure; we elected to perform a precautionary shutdown of engine #2. After engine shutdown; the fire alarm continued to sound intermittently. When within visual range of ZZZ; we asked the tower controller if he could see any smoke or fire from the aircraft. The tower controller informed us that he could not see any smoke or fire from the aircraft. The tower controller advised us that he had been informed by center of our situation and that crash fire rescue equipment is prepared and in place. He had informed center that we would accept runway xx (the longest runway and the most direct entry for an immediate landing). Being in control of the aircraft at all times and with an approximately landing weight of 155000 pounds (not to mention a possible fire at the engine); I elected not to dump fuel. I performed a visual approach to runway xx; with a 1-MIN inoperative procedure. The fire alarm bell continued to sound even to the ground at landing. 2 crash fire rescue equipment vehicles met the aircraft as we turned onto the taxiway and; at our request; performed a visual inspection around the aircraft. Crash fire rescue equipment reported no smoke/fire damage. So I elected to taxi the aircraft across the field to the FBO. We were escorted by the 2 crash fire rescue equipment vehicles behind us and an airport vehicle in front of us. We taxied to parking with no incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED AN ENG FIRE WARNING ON CLIMBOUT. THEY DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND DIVERTED TO A SUITABLE AIRPORT.

Narrative: TKOF WT: 166069 LBS. FUEL ON BOARD: 34000 LBS. PAYLOAD: 42430 LBS. ACFT DEPARTED WITH FLAPS 25 DEGS. DURING ENRTE CLB PASSING FL210; #2 ENG FIRE HANDLE ILLUMINATED WITH SIMULTANEOUS FIRE BELL ALARM. I SILENCED THE FIRE BELL AND OBSERVED NO CHANGES WITH ENG #2'S ENG INSTS. THE FE INDICATED NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS ON HIS PANEL; INCLUDING NO INDICATION OF AN ENG STRUT OR LOWER AFT OVERHEAT. I LEVELED OFF THE ACFT AT FL215 WHEN A SECOND FIRE BELL ALARM SOUNDED. I INSTRUCTED FO (IOE CAPT) TO DECLARE AN EMER TO CTR AND REQUEST AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT. CTR GRANTED OUR REQUEST FOR AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT AND ACKNOWLEDGED OUR EMER DECLARATION. WE REQUESTED THE PROX OF NEAREST ARPTS FROM CTR AND AT THE SAME TIME I SCROLLED THROUGH MY GPS UNIT FOR NEAREST ARPTS. CTR INFORMED US OF 2 ARPTS IN THE AREA AND I ELECTED TO GO TO ZZZ; AS IT WAS APPROX 80 NM AWAY AND I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT RWYS AND CONFIDENT THAT CFR SVCS WERE AVAILABLE. SINCE WE NEEDED TO LOSE 21000 FT; I BELIEVED THAT A NORMAL DSCNT WOULD PUT US IN POS FOR A NORMAL LNDG AT ZZZ AND NOT OVERSTRESS THE ACFT (IN THE EVENT OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE); AND GIVE THE CREW TIME TO PERFORM THE PROPER PROC(S) AND SECURE THE #2 ENG. I CALLED FOR THE ENG FIRE CHKLIST AND INSTRUCTED THE FE TO WORK WITH THE FO ON THE CHKLIST(S) WHILE I FLEW THE ACFT AND HANDLED THE RADIO. I INFORMED CTR OF MY INTENTION TO GO TO ZZZ. CTR CLRED US DIRECT TO ZZZ AND I TURNED THE ACFT DIRECT TOWARDS IT. DURING OUR DSCNT; THE ENG FIRE BELL SOUNDED OFF NUMEROUS TIMES. THE #2 FIRE HANDLE CONTINUED TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED. NOT KNOWING THE ACTUAL CONDITION OF THE EVENT; THE CREW FOLLOWED PROC AND DISCHARGED THE FIRST FIRE BOTTLE. THE #2 ENG FIRE HANDLE CONTINUED TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED AFTER 30 SECONDS; SO THE CREW DISCHARGED THE SECOND FIRE BOTTLE. THE #2 FIRE HANDLE REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND THE FIRE ALARM REPEATEDLY KEPT SOUNDING. PER PROC; WE ELECTED TO PERFORM A PRECAUTIONARY SHUTDOWN OF ENG #2. AFTER ENG SHUTDOWN; THE FIRE ALARM CONTINUED TO SOUND INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN WITHIN VISUAL RANGE OF ZZZ; WE ASKED THE TWR CTLR IF HE COULD SEE ANY SMOKE OR FIRE FROM THE ACFT. THE TWR CTLR INFORMED US THAT HE COULD NOT SEE ANY SMOKE OR FIRE FROM THE ACFT. THE TWR CTLR ADVISED US THAT HE HAD BEEN INFORMED BY CTR OF OUR SITUATION AND THAT CFR IS PREPARED AND IN PLACE. HE HAD INFORMED CTR THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT RWY XX (THE LONGEST RWY AND THE MOST DIRECT ENTRY FOR AN IMMEDIATE LNDG). BEING IN CTL OF THE ACFT AT ALL TIMES AND WITH AN APPROX LNDG WT OF 155000 LBS (NOT TO MENTION A POSSIBLE FIRE AT THE ENG); I ELECTED NOT TO DUMP FUEL. I PERFORMED A VISUAL APCH TO RWY XX; WITH A 1-MIN INOP PROC. THE FIRE ALARM BELL CONTINUED TO SOUND EVEN TO THE GND AT LNDG. 2 CFR VEHICLES MET THE ACFT AS WE TURNED ONTO THE TXWY AND; AT OUR REQUEST; PERFORMED A VISUAL INSPECTION AROUND THE ACFT. CFR RPTED NO SMOKE/FIRE DAMAGE. SO I ELECTED TO TAXI THE ACFT ACROSS THE FIELD TO THE FBO. WE WERE ESCORTED BY THE 2 CFR VEHICLES BEHIND US AND AN ARPT VEHICLE IN FRONT OF US. WE TAXIED TO PARKING WITH NO INCIDENT.

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.