Narrative:

After takeoff with aircraft clean 5 NM west lax runway 25R, initial fire indication on #1 engine. Fire handle illuminated with fire bell. Indication stopped. Indications again. Throttle retarded, indications stopped. Indications again. Engine shutdown with fuel lever and fire handle. When fire handle was rotated to discharge fire bottle, no fire agent discharge light illuminated. Handle rotated again with still no agent discharge. Emergency terminated uneventfully with VFR landing at lax runway 25L. No emergency evacuate/evacuation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting first officer states that there was no fire. One of the engine fire detection loops was inoperative prior to takeoff, but the aircraft was legal to fly as the other loop tested properly. The 'good' loop must have failed in the air. Mechanics said that the engine shutdown handle was not properly 'grooved' so that it would not make contact when it was turned to discharge either fire bottle. After several operations in the hangar, the system worked ok. The reporting first officer said that he tried both bottles. They did not work, and that was enough for him as there was no longer a fire indication.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR WDB CREW RETURNED AND LANDED AFTER A FALSE FIRE WARNING INDICATION.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF WITH ACFT CLEAN 5 NM W LAX RWY 25R, INITIAL FIRE INDICATION ON #1 ENG. FIRE HANDLE ILLUMINATED WITH FIRE BELL. INDICATION STOPPED. INDICATIONS AGAIN. THROTTLE RETARDED, INDICATIONS STOPPED. INDICATIONS AGAIN. ENG SHUTDOWN WITH FUEL LEVER AND FIRE HANDLE. WHEN FIRE HANDLE WAS ROTATED TO DISCHARGE FIRE BOTTLE, NO FIRE AGENT DISCHARGE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. HANDLE ROTATED AGAIN WITH STILL NO AGENT DISCHARGE. EMER TERMINATED UNEVENTFULLY WITH VFR LNDG AT LAX RWY 25L. NO EMER EVAC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING FO STATES THAT THERE WAS NO FIRE. ONE OF THE ENG FIRE DETECTION LOOPS WAS INOP PRIOR TO TKOF, BUT THE ACFT WAS LEGAL TO FLY AS THE OTHER LOOP TESTED PROPERLY. THE 'GOOD' LOOP MUST HAVE FAILED IN THE AIR. MECHS SAID THAT THE ENG SHUTDOWN HANDLE WAS NOT PROPERLY 'GROOVED' SO THAT IT WOULD NOT MAKE CONTACT WHEN IT WAS TURNED TO DISCHARGE EITHER FIRE BOTTLE. AFTER SEVERAL OPS IN THE HANGAR, THE SYS WORKED OK. THE RPTING FO SAID THAT HE TRIED BOTH BOTTLES. THEY DID NOT WORK, AND THAT WAS ENOUGH FOR HIM AS THERE WAS NO LONGER A FIRE INDICATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.