AN SF34 FLC RECEIVED A CARGO SMOKE WARNING DURING CLB. FLT WAS DIVERTED FOR ACFT EQUIP PROB CARGO COMPARTMENT SMOKE DETECTION.

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CLBING OUT OF 13000 FT; APPROX 40 NM NNW OF FSM; THE CARGO SMOKE WARNING ILLUMINATED ON CENTRAL WARNING PANEL. BOTTLE #1 FOR CARGO COMPARTMENT WAS ACTIVATED AND ASSOCIATED CHKLIST PERFORMED. AFTER APPROX 30 SECONDS; THE CENTRAL WARNING PANEL LIGHT WENT OUT. FSM HAD BETTER WX AND A LONGER RWY; AND THIS WOULD BE A STRAIGHT LINE DSCNT FOR US INSTEAD OF FYV; RIGHT BELOW US (A SPIRAL DSCNT). 12 MINS LATER WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT IN FMS. #2 BOTTLE WAS NOT USED. NO EMER DECLARED. MAINT INSPECTED ACFT AND WE FERRIED IT TO DFW LATER. GREAT CREW COORD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: A MALFUNCTIONING DETECTOR IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT CAUSED A FALSE ALARM. THE PHOTOELECTRIC CELL IN THE SF340 CARGO COMPARTMENT WILL DETECT SMOKE; AEROSOL; THICK FUMES; AND EVEN HIGH HUMIDITY. RPTR STATES THAT 'WHEN THE PARTICLE INTERRUPTION DISSIPATES; THEN THE ALARMS WILL GO OUT.' THE WARNING IS; ITSELF; ASSOCIATED WITH A MEMORY CHKLIST ITEM FOR WHICH THE FLC FOLLOWED ALL PROCS. SHORTLY AFTER THE FLC HAD FIRED THE BOTTLE AND HAD BEGUN THE 30 SECOND TIMING; THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND STATED THAT HE HEARD A WEIRD NOISE IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT. IN FACT HE DESCRIBED THE SOUND AS 'A SUITCASE BUSTING OPEN AND MARBLES RUNNING OUT.' CAPT STATES THAT THE CABIN ATTENDANT'S ACCOUNT AND THE ABSENCE OF ANY FURTHER COCKPIT WARNING INDICATIONS CONFIRMED THAT THE BOTTLE HAD DISCHARGED. (THE BOTTLE WILL FIRST DISCHARGE; THEN THE SYS PROVIDES A 30 MIN TRICKLE CHARGE.) ATC WAS ADVISED OF THE ACFT'S PROB. A FOLLOW-UP LETTER TO THE RPTR; FROM THE FLEET MGR; STATED THAT THE DETECTOR HAD BEEN REPLACED.