EMB120 MAKES AN EMER LNDG AT IND AFTER HAVING AN ENG WHEELWELL FIRE INDICATION THAT FAILED TO GO OUT AFTER 2 FIRE BOTTLES WERE DISPENSED. PAX EVACED ON THE RWY.

Narrative

WHEN LEVEL AT 19000 FT ENRTE FROM CVG TO MKE IN AN EMB120 WE HAD AN ENG WHEELWELL FIRE WARNING ON #1 ENG. WE WERE DEVIATING AROUND TSTMS. THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND I WAS THE PNF. WE PROCEEDED WITH ENG FIRE MEMORY ITEMS AND CHKLISTS AND SHUT THE ENG DOWN. AFTER DISPENSING BOTH FIRE BOTTLES WE STILL HAD THE ENG FIRE WARNING. WE HAD DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZID AND THEY VECTORED US TO IND. WE DID AN ILS TO RWY 23R AND EVACED ON THE RWY. NO ONE WAS HURT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THAT; AFTER THE POSTFLT INSPECTION; THE FIRE WARNING WAS FOUND TO BE A FALSE WARNING. THE MAINT DEPT CHANGED THE FIRE WARNING CTL BOX AND REPLACED THE FIRE BOTTLES. A NEW CREW FERRIED THE ACFT OUT THE NEXT DAY. SINCE THE FIRE WARNING HAD BEEN ON #1 ENG; THE CAPT ELECTED TO EVAC THE PAX OUT THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT; USING THE OVERWING EXIT. PRIOR TO LNDG THE FLT ATTENDANT RESPONDED IN THE NEGATIVE TO THE CAPT'S INQUIRY IF ANY FIRE OR SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE #1 ENG. THE WING FLAPS HAD BEEN LEFT DOWN AFTER LNDG SINCE HYD PRESSURE WAS REQUIRED TO RAISE THEM AND THE CREW DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE THE TIME TO RAISE THE FLAPS PRIOR TO SHUTTING THE #2 ENG DOWN. THE EXTENDED FLAPS ACTUALLY ASSISTED IN THE EVAC; LESSENING THE POSSIBILITY OF PAX INJURY. THE DISTANCE FROM THE WING TO THE GND IS 3 FT; THE FLAPS REDUCED THAT AND SLOWED THEIR DSCNT TO THE GND. WHEN ASKED; THE RPTR STATED THAT THE FLAPS WERE NOT ON AN EMER CHKLIST TO BE USED FOR THAT SPECIFIC PURPOSE.