MD82 flight crew declared an emergency and diverted to land after getting an aft cargo fire warning.

Attributes
ACN	519959
Time
Date	200107
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl single value : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-82
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise : level ground : parked
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	519959
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	519325
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : cargo fire warning light other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Aft cargo fire warning came on during cruise. Flight handbook procedures were accomplished, an emergency was declared, and we were vectored to a visual landing at tonopah test range airport (tnx). An inspection revealed no fire indications -- suspect faulty sensor.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD82 FLC DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO LAND AFTER GETTING AN AFT CARGO FIRE WARNING.

Narrative: AFT CARGO FIRE WARNING CAME ON DURING CRUISE. FLT HANDBOOK PROCS WERE ACCOMPLISHED, AN EMER WAS DECLARED, AND WE WERE VECTORED TO A VISUAL LNDG AT TONOPAH TEST RANGE ARPT (TNX). AN INSPECTION REVEALED NO FIRE INDICATIONS -- SUSPECT FAULTY SENSOR.

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.