Narrative:

On above date and time, I was the captain, and PNF, on the flight from rdu to phl. Approximately 130 NM from rdu, while at cruise, a 'smoke cargo' warning message appeared on ed #1. The message was accompanied with a triple chime and 'smoke' aural. The message cleared within 1-2 seconds. I called the flight attendant and asked her to make a PA concerning turning off all cellular telephones. A passenger turned his cellphone off and no other cellular phones were on. Several mins later, another cargo fire warning was received. It also cancelled within 1-2 seconds. Maintenance was contacted by radio. They requested we pull and reset some circuit breakers, however, due to being airborne at the time, I refused. The flight continued to phl with four additional fire warnings occurring. All warnings lasted 1-2 seconds and were sequenced as follows: 1) both normal and standby cargo fire lights flashed red, then off, 2) 'smoke cargo' message appeared on ed #1, 3) triple warning chime sounded with 'smoke' aural. After 1-2 seconds, all indications ceased. Aircraft landed without incident. Warnings occurred from 10000 MSL to FL250. No cellular phones were in use on board the aircraft. Only one (1) cellphone was on. This indication is fairly common in canadair regional jets, but normally occur on ground with cargo door open. There appears to be some latent defect with the cargo fire detection system's design. This is not my first problem with this system. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this is the third incident of false cargo compartment fire warning this captain has had. His air carrier operates several CL65 aircraft. Most other capts he knows have also had false warnings. In this particular case air carrier maintenance was not able to duplicate the problem and found nothing wrong. His air carrier blames a cellphone in some- ones luggage. They simply blame the cellphone and look no further. No attempt was made to identify the cellphone and no search of the baggage was conducted. He considers this an aircraft design problem. He is concerned that crews are now ignoring the fire warning system, and taking no action when a warning is received.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 CREW HAD MULTIPLE CARGO COMPARTMENT FIRE WARNINGS IN ZDC CLASS A.

Narrative: ON ABOVE DATE AND TIME, I WAS THE CAPT, AND PNF, ON THE FLT FROM RDU TO PHL. APPROX 130 NM FROM RDU, WHILE AT CRUISE, A 'SMOKE CARGO' WARNING MSG APPEARED ON ED #1. THE MSG WAS ACCOMPANIED WITH A TRIPLE CHIME AND 'SMOKE' AURAL. THE MSG CLRED WITHIN 1-2 SECS. I CALLED THE FA AND ASKED HER TO MAKE A PA CONCERNING TURNING OFF ALL CELLULAR TELEPHONES. A PAX TURNED HIS CELLPHONE OFF AND NO OTHER CELLULAR PHONES WERE ON. SEVERAL MINS LATER, ANOTHER CARGO FIRE WARNING WAS RECEIVED. IT ALSO CANCELLED WITHIN 1-2 SECS. MAINT WAS CONTACTED BY RADIO. THEY REQUESTED WE PULL AND RESET SOME CIRCUIT BREAKERS, HOWEVER, DUE TO BEING AIRBORNE AT THE TIME, I REFUSED. THE FLT CONTINUED TO PHL WITH FOUR ADDITIONAL FIRE WARNINGS OCCURRING. ALL WARNINGS LASTED 1-2 SECS AND WERE SEQUENCED AS FOLLOWS: 1) BOTH NORMAL AND STANDBY CARGO FIRE LIGHTS FLASHED RED, THEN OFF, 2) 'SMOKE CARGO' MSG APPEARED ON ED #1, 3) TRIPLE WARNING CHIME SOUNDED WITH 'SMOKE' AURAL. AFTER 1-2 SECS, ALL INDICATIONS CEASED. ACFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. WARNINGS OCCURRED FROM 10000 MSL TO FL250. NO CELLULAR PHONES WERE IN USE ON BOARD THE ACFT. ONLY ONE (1) CELLPHONE WAS ON. THIS INDICATION IS FAIRLY COMMON IN CANADAIR REGIONAL JETS, BUT NORMALLY OCCUR ON GND WITH CARGO DOOR OPEN. THERE APPEARS TO BE SOME LATENT DEFECT WITH THE CARGO FIRE DETECTION SYSTEM'S DESIGN. THIS IS NOT MY FIRST PROB WITH THIS SYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS IS THE THIRD INCIDENT OF FALSE CARGO COMPARTMENT FIRE WARNING THIS CAPT HAS HAD. HIS ACR OPERATES SEVERAL CL65 ACFT. MOST OTHER CAPTS HE KNOWS HAVE ALSO HAD FALSE WARNINGS. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE ACR MAINT WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROB AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. HIS ACR BLAMES A CELLPHONE IN SOME- ONES LUGGAGE. THEY SIMPLY BLAME THE CELLPHONE AND LOOK NO FURTHER. NO ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO IDENTIFY THE CELLPHONE AND NO SEARCH OF THE BAGGAGE WAS CONDUCTED. HE CONSIDERS THIS AN ACFT DESIGN PROB. HE IS CONCERNED THAT CREWS ARE NOW IGNORING THE FIRE WARNING SYS, AND TAKING NO ACTION WHEN A WARNING IS RECEIVED.

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.