A DC8-73 at cruise FL350 declared an emergency and diverted due to an intermittent #2 engine fire wa...

Attributes
ACN	380461
Time
Date	199709
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sya
State Reference	AK
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zan
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-8 70
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	380461
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Engine fire indications in #2 engine. Performed checklist. Fire indication out before fire agent discharge. Did precautionary fire test. Tested normally. Fire warning recurred in approximately 1 min. Discharged fire agent bottles. Fire warning remained. Declared emergency. Proceeded direct sya. Sya WX unsuitable. Fire indication extinguished after approximately 10-15 mins. Proceeded to anc. Fire warning recurred approximately 1 min after another precautionary fire test had tested normally. Suspected electrical fault. There were no secondary fire indications (oil temperature, egt, CSD). Continued toward anc. Fire indication out after approximately 20-30 mins. No fire test done. After 30-40 mins more, fire warning recurred. Suspected a slow, smoldering fire (there had been fuel leaks in wing near #2 engine during preflight, all of which were repaired before departure). Nearest suitable airport was cold bay (cdb), ak. Made an uneventful landing. The problem was an electrical fault in the fire handle itself. There had never been an actual fire.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC8-73 AT CRUISE FL350 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO AN INTERMITTENT #2 ENG FIRE WARNING CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL FAULT IN THE FIRE HANDLE.

Narrative: ENG FIRE INDICATIONS IN #2 ENG. PERFORMED CHKLIST. FIRE INDICATION OUT BEFORE FIRE AGENT DISCHARGE. DID PRECAUTIONARY FIRE TEST. TESTED NORMALLY. FIRE WARNING RECURRED IN APPROX 1 MIN. DISCHARGED FIRE AGENT BOTTLES. FIRE WARNING REMAINED. DECLARED EMER. PROCEEDED DIRECT SYA. SYA WX UNSUITABLE. FIRE INDICATION EXTINGUISHED AFTER APPROX 10-15 MINS. PROCEEDED TO ANC. FIRE WARNING RECURRED APPROX 1 MIN AFTER ANOTHER PRECAUTIONARY FIRE TEST HAD TESTED NORMALLY. SUSPECTED ELECTRICAL FAULT. THERE WERE NO SECONDARY FIRE INDICATIONS (OIL TEMP, EGT, CSD). CONTINUED TOWARD ANC. FIRE INDICATION OUT AFTER APPROX 20-30 MINS. NO FIRE TEST DONE. AFTER 30-40 MINS MORE, FIRE WARNING RECURRED. SUSPECTED A SLOW, SMOLDERING FIRE (THERE HAD BEEN FUEL LEAKS IN WING NEAR #2 ENG DURING PREFLT, ALL OF WHICH WERE REPAIRED BEFORE DEP). NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT WAS COLD BAY (CDB), AK. MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. THE PROB WAS AN ELECTRICAL FAULT IN THE FIRE HANDLE ITSELF. THERE HAD NEVER BEEN AN ACTUAL FIRE.

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.

A DC8-73 at cruise FL350 declared an emergency and diverted due to an intermittent #2 engine fire warning caused by an electrical fault in the fire handle.