B737 FLC RECEIVED AN ENG FIRE OVERHEAT LIGHT AND BELL WARNING. EMER DECLARED.

Narrative

CLBING THROUGH FL280 THE #1 ENG OVERHEAT AND ENG FIRE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND BELL SOUNDED INTERMITTENTLY; THEN CAME ON STEADY. DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZDC. PERFORMED APPROPRIATE EMER CHKLISTS AND SHUTDOWN. ENG FIRE LIGHT WENT OUT. DIVERTED TO RICHMOND FOR LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: FO STATES THAT THE B737 (300/400) ENG FIRE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED AFTER ENG SHUTDOWN AND THE EXTINGUISHANT FIRED. FLC DID NOT COM THE CRITICALITY OF THIS; NOR DID ATC SEEM AWARE OF URGENCY UNTIL AN INTERMEDIATE ALT WAS ASSIGNED; WHEN THE FLC EXCLAIMED 'WE NEED TO GET DOWN NOW!' DURING THE DSCNT; FLC AND CABIN CREWMEMBERS COORDINATED TO ASCERTAIN EXTENT OF FIRE (NO PHYSICAL INDICATIONS) AND BRIEFED FOR THE EMER (BRACE SIGNAL). AFTER LNDG; THE CFR TEAM WAS PATCHED IN THROUGH GND CTL AND THE ACFT CLRED TO TAXI TO THE GATE. PAX WERE DEPLANED NORMALLY. MAINT DETERMINED PROB TO BE A RESULT OF A WIRING PROB. DURING THE 2 HR DEADHEAD HOME; THE CREW DEBRIEFED. THE CABIN CREW FELT THAT THEY COULD SAVE THEIR VOICES AND LESSEN PAX ANXIETY IF THE BRACE SIGNAL WAS GIVEN LATER IN THE LNDG PHASE. THE CABIN ATTENDANTS WERE YELLING COMMANDS FOR OVER 2 MINS.