Narrative:

Normal preflight startup and taxi out and takeoff on runway 17L. At 400 ft AGL; right turn west for departure. Then a strange message popped up. 'Engine #1 shutdown' (not engine #1 fail). There were no indications of any problems with the engine; it seemed to be running normally. It looked like the end of the 'engine #1 fail ECAM' dialog. It could be a computer malfunction or something more serious so I called a flight attendant cabin advisory. Then as we leveled off at 8000 ft MSL and turned right onto downwind; I began looking at everything to try to understand what was really going on. I noticed that the engine #1 fire warning light was illuminated; but we had never heard the fire bell ring and no ECAM. With the engine on fire and the ECAM system not functioning properly; I declared an emergency and we proceeded with the manual procedure for the fire (without ECAM). The fire extinguisher agent #1 discharge did not put out the light. After 30 seconds; we continued and the second extinguisher agent discharged and it put out the light. With the ECAM and fire warning system possibly damaged and not performing correctly; I was not totally confident that we understood what was really going on; but an immediate emergency landing backed up by emergency crash fire rescue equipment crews was safer than researching the situation; so I made a PA announcement requesting the flight attendants to immediately prepare for evacuate/evacuation while turning right base then on visual to landing on runway 17L. We requested the tower and emergency crews to immediately inspect the aircraft to confirm that it was not in any dangerous condition and made the remain seated announcement. Both tower and the emergency crews reported no flames or smoke observed and the emergency crews reported no excessive heat; so I made a PA advising our situation was now safe and we could taxi to the gate. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that a bleed leak caused the fire indication. Why no concurrent fire bell and ECAM fire checklist is still somewhat of a mystery. The ECAM 'engine shutdown' seemed to tell the crew that the engine was already shut down; which was clearly not the case. Reporter says that he has learned to not totally rely on the computer indications to display what's actually occurring. He now relies on all information available which is what he did in this case. Something was wrong but he didn't know exactly what; so he decided to get the aircraft on the ground and decide later if that was the correct decision or not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 WITH AN ILLUMINATED FIRE HANDLE HAD NO ECAM OR FIRE BELL. CREW DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURN LAND.

Narrative: NORMAL PREFLT STARTUP AND TAXI OUT AND TKOF ON RWY 17L. AT 400 FT AGL; R TURN W FOR DEP. THEN A STRANGE MESSAGE POPPED UP. 'ENG #1 SHUTDOWN' (NOT ENG #1 FAIL). THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF ANY PROBS WITH THE ENG; IT SEEMED TO BE RUNNING NORMALLY. IT LOOKED LIKE THE END OF THE 'ENG #1 FAIL ECAM' DIALOG. IT COULD BE A COMPUTER MALFUNCTION OR SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS SO I CALLED A FLT ATTENDANT CABIN ADVISORY. THEN AS WE LEVELED OFF AT 8000 FT MSL AND TURNED R ONTO DOWNWIND; I BEGAN LOOKING AT EVERYTHING TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS REALLY GOING ON. I NOTICED THAT THE ENG #1 FIRE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED; BUT WE HAD NEVER HEARD THE FIRE BELL RING AND NO ECAM. WITH THE ENG ON FIRE AND THE ECAM SYS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY; I DECLARED AN EMER AND WE PROCEEDED WITH THE MANUAL PROC FOR THE FIRE (WITHOUT ECAM). THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER AGENT #1 DISCHARGE DID NOT PUT OUT THE LIGHT. AFTER 30 SECONDS; WE CONTINUED AND THE SECOND EXTINGUISHER AGENT DISCHARGED AND IT PUT OUT THE LIGHT. WITH THE ECAM AND FIRE WARNING SYS POSSIBLY DAMAGED AND NOT PERFORMING CORRECTLY; I WAS NOT TOTALLY CONFIDENT THAT WE UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS REALLY GOING ON; BUT AN IMMEDIATE EMER LNDG BACKED UP BY EMER CFR CREWS WAS SAFER THAN RESEARCHING THE SITUATION; SO I MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT REQUESTING THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO IMMEDIATELY PREPARE FOR EVAC WHILE TURNING R BASE THEN ON VISUAL TO LNDG ON RWY 17L. WE REQUESTED THE TWR AND EMER CREWS TO IMMEDIATELY INSPECT THE ACFT TO CONFIRM THAT IT WAS NOT IN ANY DANGEROUS CONDITION AND MADE THE REMAIN SEATED ANNOUNCEMENT. BOTH TWR AND THE EMER CREWS RPTED NO FLAMES OR SMOKE OBSERVED AND THE EMER CREWS RPTED NO EXCESSIVE HEAT; SO I MADE A PA ADVISING OUR SITUATION WAS NOW SAFE AND WE COULD TAXI TO THE GATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT A BLEED LEAK CAUSED THE FIRE INDICATION. WHY NO CONCURRENT FIRE BELL AND ECAM FIRE CHKLIST IS STILL SOMEWHAT OF A MYSTERY. THE ECAM 'ENG SHUTDOWN' SEEMED TO TELL THE CREW THAT THE ENG WAS ALREADY SHUT DOWN; WHICH WAS CLRLY NOT THE CASE. RPTR SAYS THAT HE HAS LEARNED TO NOT TOTALLY RELY ON THE COMPUTER INDICATIONS TO DISPLAY WHAT'S ACTUALLY OCCURRING. HE NOW RELIES ON ALL INFO AVAILABLE WHICH IS WHAT HE DID IN THIS CASE. SOMETHING WAS WRONG BUT HE DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT; SO HE DECIDED TO GET THE ACFT ON THE GND AND DECIDE LATER IF THAT WAS THE CORRECT DECISION OR NOT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.