An SF340 crew shut down an engine en route due to engine fire warning indications.

Attributes
ACN	509879
Time
Date	200104
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : mmj.vortac
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl single value : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pit.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SF 340A
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 350 flight time total : 3700 flight time type : 650
ASRS Report	509879
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 : eng fire light, fire handle fire bell
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

While en route to pit, about 80 mi west from pit, the left 'fire detection fail' light on central warning panel illuminated. This light illuminated and then extinguished by itself. It did this a few times and then completely stopped as if the problem never existed. By this time, the first officer and I had reviewed the appropriate checklist for this situation, even though the 'fire detection fail' light was not illuminated at this point in time. All indications were normal. As we continued to pit the left 'fire detection fail' light illuminated again. However, accompanying this light was the left 'engine fire' light on the central warning panel. Both lights (the left 'fire detection fail' and the left 'engine fire' light) illuminated and then extinguished by themselves 2 times and then completely stopped as if the problem never existed. At this time, we asked our flight attendant to casually walk through the cabin and to peer through the side windows and see if she could see any signs of a fire with the left engine. She reported that she saw no signs of a left engine fire. While descending into pit, being radar vectors for runway 32, the left 'engine fire' light on the central warning panel illuminated, the left fire handle illuminated, in addition to the sounding of the firebell. (We did not have the 'fire detection fail' light at all this time, just the left 'engine fire' light with the associated alarms). At this time, we continued with the appropriate memory items for an engine fire, followed by the appropriate emergency checklists, while declaring an 'emergency' with ATC. The 'engine fire' light went out immediately after the engine fire extinguishing agent was discharged. We continued to maneuver the aircraft for a single engine landing at pit. Upon completion of successful landing, the entire flight crew, as well as the fire and rescue crew verified that there was no fire at all. The fire and rescue crew told us that they put their infrared light in the engine and verified that it was cold. In the interest of safety, we decided not to evacuate/evacuation the aircraft, as the crash fire rescue equipment crew followed the aircraft to the gate. No harm was done to any persons or property. My crew, ATC, and the crash fire rescue equipment crew performed great.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SF340 CREW SHUT DOWN AN ENG ENRTE DUE TO ENG FIRE WARNING INDICATIONS.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE TO PIT, ABOUT 80 MI W FROM PIT, THE L 'FIRE DETECTION FAIL' LIGHT ON CENTRAL WARNING PANEL ILLUMINATED. THIS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THEN EXTINGUISHED BY ITSELF. IT DID THIS A FEW TIMES AND THEN COMPLETELY STOPPED AS IF THE PROB NEVER EXISTED. BY THIS TIME, THE FO AND I HAD REVIEWED THE APPROPRIATE CHKLIST FOR THIS SIT, EVEN THOUGH THE 'FIRE DETECTION FAIL' LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED AT THIS POINT IN TIME. ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. AS WE CONTINUED TO PIT THE L 'FIRE DETECTION FAIL' LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. HOWEVER, ACCOMPANYING THIS LIGHT WAS THE L 'ENG FIRE' LIGHT ON THE CENTRAL WARNING PANEL. BOTH LIGHTS (THE L 'FIRE DETECTION FAIL' AND THE L 'ENG FIRE' LIGHT) ILLUMINATED AND THEN EXTINGUISHED BY THEMSELVES 2 TIMES AND THEN COMPLETELY STOPPED AS IF THE PROB NEVER EXISTED. AT THIS TIME, WE ASKED OUR FLT ATTENDANT TO CASUALLY WALK THROUGH THE CABIN AND TO PEER THROUGH THE SIDE WINDOWS AND SEE IF SHE COULD SEE ANY SIGNS OF A FIRE WITH THE L ENG. SHE RPTED THAT SHE SAW NO SIGNS OF A L ENG FIRE. WHILE DSNDING INTO PIT, BEING RADAR VECTORS FOR RWY 32, THE L 'ENG FIRE' LIGHT ON THE CENTRAL WARNING PANEL ILLUMINATED, THE L FIRE HANDLE ILLUMINATED, IN ADDITION TO THE SOUNDING OF THE FIREBELL. (WE DID NOT HAVE THE 'FIRE DETECTION FAIL' LIGHT AT ALL THIS TIME, JUST THE L 'ENG FIRE' LIGHT WITH THE ASSOCIATED ALARMS). AT THIS TIME, WE CONTINUED WITH THE APPROPRIATE MEMORY ITEMS FOR AN ENG FIRE, FOLLOWED BY THE APPROPRIATE EMER CHKLISTS, WHILE DECLARING AN 'EMER' WITH ATC. THE 'ENG FIRE' LIGHT WENT OUT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ENG FIRE EXTINGUISHING AGENT WAS DISCHARGED. WE CONTINUED TO MANEUVER THE ACFT FOR A SINGLE ENG LNDG AT PIT. UPON COMPLETION OF SUCCESSFUL LNDG, THE ENTIRE FLC, AS WELL AS THE FIRE AND RESCUE CREW VERIFIED THAT THERE WAS NO FIRE AT ALL. THE FIRE AND RESCUE CREW TOLD US THAT THEY PUT THEIR INFRARED LIGHT IN THE ENG AND VERIFIED THAT IT WAS COLD. IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, WE DECIDED NOT TO EVAC THE ACFT, AS THE CFR CREW FOLLOWED THE ACFT TO THE GATE. NO HARM WAS DONE TO ANY PERSONS OR PROPERTY. MY CREW, ATC, AND THE CFR CREW PERFORMED GREAT.

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.