INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN. DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative

IN CRUISE FLT; #2 ENG FIRE WARNING ACTIVATED. THIS ACFT HAD SEVERAL PREVIOUS FALSE WARNINGS ON THE SAME ENG; ONE ONLY 3 DAYS EARLIER. #2 ENG WAS SHUT DOWN ACCORDING TO OUR COCKPIT OPERATING MANUAL; AND 1 FIRE BOTTLE WAS DISCHARGED. THE CAPT DECIDED TO SAVE THE OTHER ONE IN CASE WE HAD A REAL FIRE. HE WAS FLYING AT THE TIME. HE TURNED CTL OF THE ACFT TO ME AND ALSO ATC COM WHILE HE AND THE SO COMPLETED THE CHKLIST. WHILE DRIFTING DOWN; FLYING THE ACFT; NAVING AND TALKING TO ATC I TUNED IN MEM VOR AND IT SHOWED 185 NM; WHICH I PASSED ON TO THE CAPT. HE SAID 'TELL CTR WE WANT TO GO TO MEM.' ACTUALLY; WE WERE ABOUT 285 NM FROM MEM (MY FAULT). THE CAPT TALKED TO DISPATCH; AND THE 4 CONSIDERED HAVING US LAND AT BNA; BUT DECIDED TO SEND US ON TO MEM WHERE WE HAVE A HUB AND SPARE PLANES AND MAINT. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT MEM IN GOOD WX ABOUT 40 MINS LATER. POINT OF THIS FILING: REPEAT WRITE-UPS CAUSING INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN. DIVERSIONS IN 3 ENG ACFT WITH 1 SHUTDOWN. HOW FAR CAN YOU LEGALLY FLY? SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 296801: A FALSE WARNING HAD OCCURRED IRONICALLY ON THE SAME FLT SEGMENT FROM DFW TO TPA (ON THAT FLT THE CREW CONTINUED ON TO THE DEST CITY OF TPA). I CAREFULLY VIEWED ALL OTHER ENG GAUGES; EGT; OIL TEMP; AFT LOWER BODY AND STRUT OVERHEAT LIGHTS NOT ILLUMINATED; GOOD OIL PRESSURE; ETC; AND CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THIS WARNING ALSO HAD A HIGH PROBABILITY OF BEING FALSE. THE CREW CONTINUED THE EMER PROC BY SHUTTING DOWN THE #2 ENG. WITH THE CONCURRENCE OF OUR COMPANY DISPATCH WE DID A PRECAUTIONARY DIVERT TO OUR COMPANY'S HUB STATION WHICH WAS NOT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT AS FARS ALLOW IN THE CASE OF 3 OR MORE ENGINED ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 296449: DECLARED EMER. LANDED MEM; NO PROBS TAXI TO GATE. AFTER 2 1/2 HRS MAINT STILL COULD NOT FIND PROB.