An MD88 flight crew experienced a lavatory smoke alarm and lost communication with ATC on departure.

Attributes
ACN	586533
Time
Date	200306
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sdf.airport
State Reference	KY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 500 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Turbulence
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sdf.tracon tower : sdf.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure sid : n/s
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	586533
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe cabin event other other anomaly
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : lav smoke detector other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Just after takeoff from sdf, flight attendant notifies captain that 1ST class lavatory fire detector is going off. Captain makes call to departure and after receiving a reply, starts to work with flight attendant on intercom about the smoke detector. I continued to fly departure, in and out of clouds and rough air. After leveling at 5000 ft and engaging autoplt, we noticed we hadn't heard from departure control any more. After several tries, captain returned to tower frequency. Captain got the frequency and reestablished contact. After troubleshooting, determined it was a false alarm. Flight proceeded without further incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD88 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED A LAVATORY SMOKE ALARM AND LOST COM WITH ATC ON DEP.

Narrative: JUST AFTER TKOF FROM SDF, FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIES CAPT THAT 1ST CLASS LAVATORY FIRE DETECTOR IS GOING OFF. CAPT MAKES CALL TO DEP AND AFTER RECEIVING A REPLY, STARTS TO WORK WITH FLT ATTENDANT ON INTERCOM ABOUT THE SMOKE DETECTOR. I CONTINUED TO FLY DEP, IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS AND ROUGH AIR. AFTER LEVELING AT 5000 FT AND ENGAGING AUTOPLT, WE NOTICED WE HADN'T HEARD FROM DEP CTL ANY MORE. AFTER SEVERAL TRIES, CAPT RETURNED TO TWR FREQ. CAPT GOT THE FREQ AND REESTABLISHED CONTACT. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING, DETERMINED IT WAS A FALSE ALARM. FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.