MD80 crew had a tail compartment overheat warning just after liftoff at ord.

Attributes
ACN	507556
Time
Date	200104
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : nct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	507556
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : overheat warning system other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Tail compartment high temperature. Just after takeoff from ord, the tail compartment high light came on. After power reduction to climb power the light went out. I decided to declare an emergency and return to ord. Landed overweight at 145000 pounds. Landing normal, soft touchdown. Fire chief reported no smoke or fire. Taxied to gate. No injuries, no evacuate/evacuation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD A TAIL COMPARTMENT OVERHEAT WARNING JUST AFTER LIFTOFF AT ORD.

Narrative: TAIL COMPARTMENT HIGH TEMP. JUST AFTER TKOF FROM ORD, THE TAIL COMPARTMENT HIGH LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER PWR REDUCTION TO CLB PWR THE LIGHT WENT OUT. I DECIDED TO DECLARE AN EMER AND RETURN TO ORD. LANDED OVERWT AT 145000 LBS. LNDG NORMAL, SOFT TOUCHDOWN. FIRE CHIEF RPTED NO SMOKE OR FIRE. TAXIED TO GATE. NO INJURIES, NO EVAC.

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.