An MD80 crew, in departure climb from mmzt, experienced a tail compartment overheat warning, returne...

Attributes
ACN	537340
Time
Date	200201
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mmzt.artcc
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 20500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : mmzt.artcc tower : mco.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 21000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	537340
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 : tail compartment overheat warn. other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : inspection
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Depart SID at XA26 for san and while climbing through 20500 ft, we had a tail compartment overheat light illuminate. We did the memory items and ran the QRH checklist, descent and approach checklists. The light went out as the right throttle was retarded. We returned to SID and wrote the item up in the maintenance logbook. The station manager wanted to leave the passenger on the aircraft. I told him that we had a hot bleed air leak somewhere in the tail compartment and that was a safety issue, which was my call. He off-loaded the passenger. The mechanic and I worked together and he found hot air leaking out of the right packs -- secondary heat exchanger. In looking into the logbook and talking to maintenance control, we found that a crew had experienced a tail compartment overheat about 1 week previous. This aircraft had been towed from the hangar, and was 2 hours late, when 2 previous aircraft for the flight out of sea were pulled due to maintenance problems. How can a problem this serious reoccur 1 week later? What corrective actions where taken and what corrective actions should have happened? As the airline increases flight hours/day on aircraft, are they retaining or hiring experienced mechanics to get the work on the aircraft done? Also in question is the cpr culture and attitude towards this process.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW, IN DEP CLB FROM MMZT, EXPERIENCED A TAIL COMPARTMENT OVERHEAT WARNING, RETURNED TO MMZT.

Narrative: DEPART SID AT XA26 FOR SAN AND WHILE CLBING THROUGH 20500 FT, WE HAD A TAIL COMPARTMENT OVERHEAT LIGHT ILLUMINATE. WE DID THE MEMORY ITEMS AND RAN THE QRH CHKLIST, DSCNT AND APCH CHKLISTS. THE LIGHT WENT OUT AS THE R THROTTLE WAS RETARDED. WE RETURNED TO SID AND WROTE THE ITEM UP IN THE MAINT LOGBOOK. THE STATION MGR WANTED TO LEAVE THE PAX ON THE ACFT. I TOLD HIM THAT WE HAD A HOT BLEED AIR LEAK SOMEWHERE IN THE TAIL COMPARTMENT AND THAT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE, WHICH WAS MY CALL. HE OFF-LOADED THE PAX. THE MECH AND I WORKED TOGETHER AND HE FOUND HOT AIR LEAKING OUT OF THE R PACKS -- SECONDARY HEAT EXCHANGER. IN LOOKING INTO THE LOGBOOK AND TALKING TO MAINT CTL, WE FOUND THAT A CREW HAD EXPERIENCED A TAIL COMPARTMENT OVERHEAT ABOUT 1 WK PREVIOUS. THIS ACFT HAD BEEN TOWED FROM THE HANGAR, AND WAS 2 HRS LATE, WHEN 2 PREVIOUS ACFT FOR THE FLT OUT OF SEA WERE PULLED DUE TO MAINT PROBS. HOW CAN A PROB THIS SERIOUS REOCCUR 1 WK LATER? WHAT CORRECTIVE ACTIONS WHERE TAKEN AND WHAT CORRECTIVE ACTIONS SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED? AS THE AIRLINE INCREASES FLT HRS/DAY ON ACFT, ARE THEY RETAINING OR HIRING EXPERIENCED MECHS TO GET THE WORK ON THE ACFT DONE? ALSO IN QUESTION IS THE CPR CULTURE AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS THIS PROCESS.

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.

An MD80 crew, in departure climb from mmzt, experienced a tail compartment overheat warning, returned to mmzt.