Dispatched with an inoperative normal equipment cooling system; the flight crew of a B767-300 return...

Narrative:

We departed in an aircraft with a deferral requiring that the equipment cooling be operated in the standby position. At approximately 9;000 ft on initial climb out; we received the icas message forward equipment overheat. We leveled the aircraft off at 3;000 meters and followed the proper checklist. The problem was not corrected and the checklist ultimately directs the crew to land at nearest suitable airport so we returned to our departure airport for an uneventful approach and landing. We did not declare an emergency because we were immediately given vectors back to the airport and did not feel the situation required emergency handling. We did notify the company using the diversion function of the ACARS; indicating our return to departure airport and our situation. In the very busy few minutes that followed; we cannot confirm that we received a reply to that message. We later learned that a reply was sent; but we either did not see it or did not receive it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Dispatched with an INOP Normal Equipment Cooling system; the flight crew of a B767-300 returned to their departure airport after receiving an EICAS Forward Equipment Overheat warning on the climb out.

Narrative: We departed in an aircraft with a deferral requiring that the Equipment Cooling be operated in the standby position. At approximately 9;000 FT on initial climb out; we received the ICAS message Forward Equipment Overheat. We leveled the aircraft off at 3;000 meters and followed the proper checklist. The problem was not corrected and the checklist ultimately directs the crew to land at nearest suitable airport so we returned to our departure airport for an uneventful approach and landing. We did not declare an emergency because we were immediately given vectors back to the airport and did not feel the situation required emergency handling. We did notify the company using the diversion function of the ACARS; indicating our return to departure airport and our situation. In the very busy few minutes that followed; we cannot confirm that we received a reply to that message. We later learned that a reply was sent; but we either did not see it or did not receive it.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Attributes
ACN	902044
Time
Date	201008
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZZ.Airport
State Reference	FO
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Climb
Route In Use	Vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Component
Aircraft Component	Cooling Fan any cooling fan
Person 1
Function	Captain Pilot Not Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 50 Flight Crew Total 9000 Flight Crew Type 3000
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical

Dispatched with an inoperative normal equipment cooling system; the flight crew of a B767-300 returned to their departure airport after receiving an EICAS forward equipment overheat warning on the climb out.