Narrative:

We were climbing out of 26000 ft for 29000 ft when the 'wing-body overheat' light came on. I called for the QRH and stopped climbing at 27000 ft. We then descended to 25000 ft to comply with limitations for 1 pack inoperative. We called dispatch to inform them of our situation. They elected to have us continue on to boise; reasoning that we had plenty of fuel on board. Having seen the WX maps in the crew room; I was a little concerned about being able to comply with the icing restr during our descent to boise. Boise seemed to be just outside the edge of a cloud system that was heading in boise's direction. The metar looked good though; and I thought we might get lucky and get to boise before the clouds moved in. Because of this; I did not dispute dispatch's decision. For the most part; we did pretty good staying out of icing on our descent into boise. Before we got that phase; dispatch had informed us that it would be ok to go through a little ice on the descent because our malfunction occurred while en route. Getting back out of boise proved to be another matter. We contemplated flying V airways for a couple hundred mi to keep us under the clouds till we were clear of them. In the end; after consulting the duty officer; it was decided to just get the airplane fixed in boise. Once we got to boise we worked pretty hard trying to figure out how to get out legally. In the end; we just had maintenance come out and fix it. I think we did everything by the book; but I'm filing this report just in case. There are other scenarios that could have been played out that may have resulted in a less dramatic day. For example; we could have returned to phx when the wing-body overheat light came on. This would have presented its own set of issues however; such as a potential overweight landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLT CREW REPORTS WING BODY OVER HEAT WARNING CLIMBING OUT OF FL260. AFTER DESCENDING TO FL250 AND COMPLYING WITH THE QRH THEY CONTINUE TO DESTINATION AND ENCOUNTER LIGHT ICING CONDITIONS.

Narrative: WE WERE CLBING OUT OF 26000 FT FOR 29000 FT WHEN THE 'WING-BODY OVERHEAT' LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED FOR THE QRH AND STOPPED CLBING AT 27000 FT. WE THEN DSNDED TO 25000 FT TO COMPLY WITH LIMITATIONS FOR 1 PACK INOP. WE CALLED DISPATCH TO INFORM THEM OF OUR SIT. THEY ELECTED TO HAVE US CONTINUE ON TO BOISE; REASONING THAT WE HAD PLENTY OF FUEL ON BOARD. HAVING SEEN THE WX MAPS IN THE CREW ROOM; I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO COMPLY WITH THE ICING RESTR DURING OUR DSCNT TO BOISE. BOISE SEEMED TO BE JUST OUTSIDE THE EDGE OF A CLOUD SYS THAT WAS HDG IN BOISE'S DIRECTION. THE METAR LOOKED GOOD THOUGH; AND I THOUGHT WE MIGHT GET LUCKY AND GET TO BOISE BEFORE THE CLOUDS MOVED IN. BECAUSE OF THIS; I DID NOT DISPUTE DISPATCH'S DECISION. FOR THE MOST PART; WE DID PRETTY GOOD STAYING OUT OF ICING ON OUR DSCNT INTO BOISE. BEFORE WE GOT THAT PHASE; DISPATCH HAD INFORMED US THAT IT WOULD BE OK TO GO THROUGH A LITTLE ICE ON THE DSCNT BECAUSE OUR MALFUNCTION OCCURRED WHILE ENRTE. GETTING BACK OUT OF BOISE PROVED TO BE ANOTHER MATTER. WE CONTEMPLATED FLYING V AIRWAYS FOR A COUPLE HUNDRED MI TO KEEP US UNDER THE CLOUDS TILL WE WERE CLR OF THEM. IN THE END; AFTER CONSULTING THE DUTY OFFICER; IT WAS DECIDED TO JUST GET THE AIRPLANE FIXED IN BOISE. ONCE WE GOT TO BOISE WE WORKED PRETTY HARD TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET OUT LEGALLY. IN THE END; WE JUST HAD MAINT COME OUT AND FIX IT. I THINK WE DID EVERYTHING BY THE BOOK; BUT I'M FILING THIS RPT JUST IN CASE. THERE ARE OTHER SCENARIOS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN PLAYED OUT THAT MAY HAVE RESULTED IN A LESS DRAMATIC DAY. FOR EXAMPLE; WE COULD HAVE RETURNED TO PHX WHEN THE WING-BODY OVERHEAT LIGHT CAME ON. THIS WOULD HAVE PRESENTED ITS OWN SET OF ISSUES HOWEVER; SUCH AS A POTENTIAL OVERWT LNDG.

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.