Incident Overview
American Airlines Flight 502, a scheduled passenger flight, experienced a fire warning light illumination for the No. 1 engine while climbing through 6,000 feet. The flight crew declared an emergency and returned the aircraft to Memphis International Airport.
Emergency Landing and Evacuation
After landing, the pilot ordered a passenger emergency evacuation. During the evacuation, the rear slide deflated after the slide material was punctured. Examination of the material revealed that the puncture was caused by a shoe heel.
Fire Warning System Fault
An examination of the fire warning system disclosed that a duct connector in the system had failed, leading to the spurious warning.
Passenger Injury
One passenger received an injury resulting from jumping off the left wing surface during the evacuation phase.