Narrative:

Captain called flight attendants on climb to report a fire indicator light on for the back left engine. He told us he was declaring an emergency and returning to land -- we were to start our emergency checklists and he would make a PA to the passenger. We began the checklist; heard no PA; and within 3-5 mins felt the plane descend for landing. Captain later reported he had made 2 PA's; so something failed -- either the system or human error. As head flight attendant; I made a brief PA and did not indicate the nature of the problem. When we heard no PA; it piqued our anxiety; since we are trained that during emergency situations; cockpit pilots are extremely busy and only to bother them if necessary. Perhaps we should have called to ask why there was no PA; but by that time; landing was imminent. We are not aware of what he would have said in his PA; but later information from the company has continued to indicate this was a 'mechanical failure incident.' to the best of my knowledge; the captain followed his procedure and flight attendants followed theirs. Our prior training was adequate and effective. Upon landing; fire trucks followed the aircraft and the fire chief gave the captain an all-clear message. We taxied to the gate and passenger deplaned by jetbridge. The information the mechanics later reported was an overheating in one of the chambers (the 13TH?) and that it blew it out. Had we continued; a fire would have broken out. I have no basis upon which to make a judgement about future prevention.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MD80 FA RPTS THE CAPT DECLARED AN EMER FOLLOWING AN ENG FIRE AFTER TKOF. THE FLT RETURN TO LAND. NO PA ANNOUNCEMENT WAS HEARD ALTHOUGH THE CAPT RPTED MAKING THEM.

Narrative: CAPT CALLED FLT ATTENDANTS ON CLB TO RPT A FIRE INDICATOR LIGHT ON FOR THE BACK L ENG. HE TOLD US HE WAS DECLARING AN EMER AND RETURNING TO LAND -- WE WERE TO START OUR EMER CHKLISTS AND HE WOULD MAKE A PA TO THE PAX. WE BEGAN THE CHKLIST; HEARD NO PA; AND WITHIN 3-5 MINS FELT THE PLANE DSND FOR LNDG. CAPT LATER RPTED HE HAD MADE 2 PA'S; SO SOMETHING FAILED -- EITHER THE SYS OR HUMAN ERROR. AS HEAD FLT ATTENDANT; I MADE A BRIEF PA AND DID NOT INDICATE THE NATURE OF THE PROB. WHEN WE HEARD NO PA; IT PIQUED OUR ANXIETY; SINCE WE ARE TRAINED THAT DURING EMER SITUATIONS; COCKPIT PLTS ARE EXTREMELY BUSY AND ONLY TO BOTHER THEM IF NECESSARY. PERHAPS WE SHOULD HAVE CALLED TO ASK WHY THERE WAS NO PA; BUT BY THAT TIME; LNDG WAS IMMINENT. WE ARE NOT AWARE OF WHAT HE WOULD HAVE SAID IN HIS PA; BUT LATER INFO FROM THE COMPANY HAS CONTINUED TO INDICATE THIS WAS A 'MECHANICAL FAILURE INCIDENT.' TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE; THE CAPT FOLLOWED HIS PROC AND FLT ATTENDANTS FOLLOWED THEIRS. OUR PRIOR TRAINING WAS ADEQUATE AND EFFECTIVE. UPON LNDG; FIRE TRUCKS FOLLOWED THE ACFT AND THE FIRE CHIEF GAVE THE CAPT AN ALL-CLR MESSAGE. WE TAXIED TO THE GATE AND PAX DEPLANED BY JETBRIDGE. THE INFO THE MECHS LATER RPTED WAS AN OVERHEATING IN ONE OF THE CHAMBERS (THE 13TH?) AND THAT IT BLEW IT OUT. HAD WE CONTINUED; A FIRE WOULD HAVE BROKEN OUT. I HAVE NO BASIS UPON WHICH TO MAKE A JUDGEMENT ABOUT FUTURE PREVENTION.

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.