B737 flight crew received an engine fire overheat light and bell warning. Emergency declared.

Attributes
ACN	309354
Time
Date	199506
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ric
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 28000 msl bound upper : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc tower : cha
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude other other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zdc
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 143 flight time total : 9100 flight time type : 6200
ASRS Report	309354
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 76 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	308779
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Climbing through FL280 the #1 engine overheat and engine fire light illuminated and bell sounded intermittently, then came on steady. Declared an emergency with ZDC. Performed appropriate emergency checklists and shutdown. Engine fire light went out. Diverted to richmond for landing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: first officer states that the B737 (300/400) engine fire light remained illuminated after engine shutdown and the extinguishant fired. Flight crew did not communication the criticality of this, nor did ATC seem aware of urgency until an intermediate altitude was assigned, when the flight crew exclaimed 'we need to get down now!' during the descent, flight crew and cabin crewmembers coordinated to ascertain extent of fire (no physical indications) and briefed for the emergency (brace signal). After landing, the crash fire rescue equipment team was patched in through ground control and the aircraft cleared to taxi to the gate. Passenger were deplaned normally. Maintenance determined problem to be a result of a wiring problem. During the 2 hour deadhead home, the crew debriefed. The cabin crew felt that they could save their voices and lessen passenger anxiety if the brace signal was given later in the landing phase. The cabin attendants were yelling commands for over 2 mins.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC RECEIVED AN ENG FIRE OVERHEAT LIGHT AND BELL WARNING. EMER DECLARED.

Narrative: CLBING THROUGH FL280 THE #1 ENG OVERHEAT AND ENG FIRE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND BELL SOUNDED INTERMITTENTLY, THEN CAME ON STEADY. DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZDC. PERFORMED APPROPRIATE EMER CHKLISTS AND SHUTDOWN. ENG FIRE LIGHT WENT OUT. DIVERTED TO RICHMOND FOR LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: FO STATES THAT THE B737 (300/400) ENG FIRE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED AFTER ENG SHUTDOWN AND THE EXTINGUISHANT FIRED. FLC DID NOT COM THE CRITICALITY OF THIS, NOR DID ATC SEEM AWARE OF URGENCY UNTIL AN INTERMEDIATE ALT WAS ASSIGNED, WHEN THE FLC EXCLAIMED 'WE NEED TO GET DOWN NOW!' DURING THE DSCNT, FLC AND CABIN CREWMEMBERS COORDINATED TO ASCERTAIN EXTENT OF FIRE (NO PHYSICAL INDICATIONS) AND BRIEFED FOR THE EMER (BRACE SIGNAL). AFTER LNDG, THE CFR TEAM WAS PATCHED IN THROUGH GND CTL AND THE ACFT CLRED TO TAXI TO THE GATE. PAX WERE DEPLANED NORMALLY. MAINT DETERMINED PROB TO BE A RESULT OF A WIRING PROB. DURING THE 2 HR DEADHEAD HOME, THE CREW DEBRIEFED. THE CABIN CREW FELT THAT THEY COULD SAVE THEIR VOICES AND LESSEN PAX ANXIETY IF THE BRACE SIGNAL WAS GIVEN LATER IN THE LNDG PHASE. THE CABIN ATTENDANTS WERE YELLING COMMANDS FOR OVER 2 MINS.

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.