Narrative:

After departure from ontario IAP, with aircraft cleaned up and climb established, tail compartment temperature high and associated master warning light illuminated. Captain was flying and took over radio duties. I accomplished items on quick reference checklist with no affect. I continued to the detailed checklist in our cockpit manual to item -- right engine idle. At that point we were headed northwest toward the mountains at about 10000 ft. We requested a westward vector to parallel mountains, but due to proximity to lax arrival and departure traffic, were given a 360 degree turn. This was satisfactory and once the turn was established, we retarded the right throttle and as the throttle came back, the warning light went out. We completed the remaining checklist items and requested a return to ont. We were vectored toward the airport, given a descent and turned over to socal approach. I briefed the flight attendant lead and made a PA to the passenger advising them of our return to the airport. We declined to declare an emergency since the warning light went out at a time when we would expect it to extinguish. Approach and landing were uneventful and we arrived at the gate 41 mins after departing. The aircraft had a recent write-up for the same warning. However, after this incident a leaking gasket was found in one of the hot air bleed lines. A more thorough inspection on the previous occasion could have saved our return to base.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG RETURNED TO LAND AFTER THE TAIL COMPARTMENT HIGH TEMP WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED.

Narrative: AFTER DEP FROM ONTARIO IAP, WITH ACFT CLEANED UP AND CLB ESTABLISHED, TAIL COMPARTMENT TEMP HIGH AND ASSOCIATED MASTER WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CAPT WAS FLYING AND TOOK OVER RADIO DUTIES. I ACCOMPLISHED ITEMS ON QUICK REF CHKLIST WITH NO AFFECT. I CONTINUED TO THE DETAILED CHKLIST IN OUR COCKPIT MANUAL TO ITEM -- R ENG IDLE. AT THAT POINT WE WERE HEADED NW TOWARD THE MOUNTAINS AT ABOUT 10000 FT. WE REQUESTED A WESTWARD VECTOR TO PARALLEL MOUNTAINS, BUT DUE TO PROX TO LAX ARR AND DEP TFC, WERE GIVEN A 360 DEG TURN. THIS WAS SATISFACTORY AND ONCE THE TURN WAS ESTABLISHED, WE RETARDED THE R THROTTLE AND AS THE THROTTLE CAME BACK, THE WARNING LIGHT WENT OUT. WE COMPLETED THE REMAINING CHKLIST ITEMS AND REQUESTED A RETURN TO ONT. WE WERE VECTORED TOWARD THE ARPT, GIVEN A DSCNT AND TURNED OVER TO SOCAL APCH. I BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANT LEAD AND MADE A PA TO THE PAX ADVISING THEM OF OUR RETURN TO THE ARPT. WE DECLINED TO DECLARE AN EMER SINCE THE WARNING LIGHT WENT OUT AT A TIME WHEN WE WOULD EXPECT IT TO EXTINGUISH. APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL AND WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE 41 MINS AFTER DEPARTING. THE ACFT HAD A RECENT WRITE-UP FOR THE SAME WARNING. HOWEVER, AFTER THIS INCIDENT A LEAKING GASKET WAS FOUND IN ONE OF THE HOT AIR BLEED LINES. A MORE THOROUGH INSPECTION ON THE PREVIOUS OCCASION COULD HAVE SAVED OUR RETURN TO BASE.

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.