Narrative:

On takeoff at approximately 300 ft AGL we got a #1 engine fire indication on EICAS. I declared an emergency and requested crash fire rescue equipment with ZZZ tower and told them we wanted to return to runway 18R. The fire indication extinguished after approximately one minute. First officer and I accomplished the memory items and secured the #1 engine. I accomplished the checklist items for engine fire. I notified F/a of our engine fire and that it was extinguished. I told him that we were returning to ZZZ and to prepare for a normal landing. I accomplished the single engine operations checklist and the first officer performed a soft touchdown for overweight landing considerations. Crash fire rescue equipment crews were waiting for us when we turned off of runway 18R. We were still on tower frequency and asked if crash fire rescue equipment could check our #1 engine. They complied and reported no indication of fire was present. We then taxied back to the gate and deplaned the passenger normally. Upon visual inspection of the #1 engine, we discovered the ats vent screen was melted with soot streaming aft of the vent. When mechanics arrived and the nacelle was opened, the air turbine starter had visible catastrophic damage to it and tubing that ran under it to the nacelle drain which was also severed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the cause of the left engine fire warning was a failed engine turbine starter clutch which failed to disengage from the engine gearbox after the engine started. The reporter said the warning was caused by the starter disintegrating from extreme high RPM, causing a flash of heat and melting the aluminum vent screen.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMBRAER 145 ON TKOF AT 300 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED DUE TO L ENG FIRE INDICATION ON EICAS.

Narrative: ON TKOF AT APPROX 300 FT AGL WE GOT A #1 ENG FIRE INDICATION ON EICAS. I DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED CFR WITH ZZZ TWR AND TOLD THEM WE WANTED TO RETURN TO RWY 18R. THE FIRE INDICATION EXTINGUISHED AFTER APPROX ONE MINUTE. FO AND I ACCOMPLISHED THE MEMORY ITEMS AND SECURED THE #1 ENG. I ACCOMPLISHED THE CHECKLIST ITEMS FOR ENG FIRE. I NOTIFIED F/A OF OUR ENG FIRE AND THAT IT WAS EXTINGUISHED. I TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO ZZZ AND TO PREPARE FOR A NORMAL LNDG. I ACCOMPLISHED THE SINGLE ENG OPS CHECKLIST AND THE FO PERFORMED A SOFT TOUCHDOWN FOR OVERWEIGHT LNDG CONSIDERATIONS. CFR CREWS WERE WAITING FOR US WHEN WE TURNED OFF OF RWY 18R. WE WERE STILL ON TWR FREQ AND ASKED IF CFR COULD CHECK OUR #1 ENG. THEY COMPLIED AND RPTED NO INDICATION OF FIRE WAS PRESENT. WE THEN TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE AND DEPLANED THE PAX NORMALLY. UPON VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE #1 ENG, WE DISCOVERED THE ATS VENT SCREEN WAS MELTED WITH SOOT STREAMING AFT OF THE VENT. WHEN MECHANICS ARRIVED AND THE NACELLE WAS OPENED, THE AIR TURBINE STARTER HAD VISIBLE CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO IT AND TUBING THAT RAN UNDER IT TO THE NACELLE DRAIN WHICH WAS ALSO SEVERED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CAUSE OF THE L ENG FIRE WARNING WAS A FAILED ENG TURBINE STARTER CLUTCH WHICH FAILED TO DISENGAGE FROM THE ENG GEARBOX AFTER THE ENG STARTED. THE RPTR SAID THE WARNING WAS CAUSED BY THE STARTER DISINTEGRATING FROM EXTREME HIGH RPM, CAUSING A FLASH OF HEAT AND MELTING THE ALUMINUM VENT SCREEN.

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.