MD80 CREW HAD FIRE WARNING ON #1 ENG.

Narrative

ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH L ENG FIRE DETECTION LOOP B INOP. LOOP 'A' HAD GIVEN INTERMITTENT WARNINGS ON JAN/SAT/01. THIS HAD BEEN CLRED ON JAN/MON/01 WITHOUT DEFINITIVE MAINT ACTION -- SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF LOOP 'A' INSPECTED TEST; NO FAULTS FOUND; OK FOR SVC. ENRTE TO FLL; LOOP 'A' BEGAN TO INTERMITTENTLY ACTIVATE CAUSING AN INTERMITTENT FIRE L ENG WARNING. (ACFT WAS BEING OPERATED LOOP 'A' ONLY PER MEL.) FOLLOWING CHKLIST; I RETARDED THROTTLE OF L ENG. PRIOR TO SECURING THE L ENG; HAVING KNOWLEDGE OF LOOP 'A' HISTORY OF ALARMING; I ELECTED TO SELECT LOOP 'B' NOT ALARM. I THEN TESTED LOOP 'B' AND OBTAINED SATISFACTORY TEST. LOOP 'B' HAD BEEN PLACARDED INOP FOR NUISANCE WARNINGS; NOT FOR LACK OF FIRE DETECTION CAPABILITY. DURING ALL THIS; WE WERE IN MODERATE TURB. THE TURB THEN LESSENED IN INTENSITY AND LOOP 'A' CEASED TO ALARM. LOOP 'A' HAD NOT CEASED ALARMING WITH THROTTLE BEING RETARDED; BUT DID CEASE WITH SENSATION OF TURB. TAKING ALL THIS INTO CONSIDERATION; I CHOSE TO CONTINUE TO FLL. THE FO DID NOT CONCUR AND RECOMMENDED ENRTE DIVERSION. NO FURTHER FIRE WARNINGS OCCURRED FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLT. I BELIEVE I HAD UNEQUIVOCAL EVIDENCE OF LACK OF AN ENG FIRE. I ALSO HAD FIRE DETECTION CAPABILITY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. I DO; HOWEVER; AT THIS POINT QUESTION WHETHER MY ACTIONS WERE IN COMPLIANCE WITH COMPANY PROCS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 500260: ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH A PLACARDED L ENG B LOOP INOP. LOGBOOK REVIEW REVEALED A HISTORY OF L ENG A LOOP INTERMITTENT INFLT; SIGNED OFF ON JAN/SAT/01. PER MEL; THE ACFT WAS FLOWN WITH L ENG A LOOP SELECTED. THE L ENG FIRE LIGHT CAME ON WHEN WE ENCOUNTERED INTERMITTENT MODERATE CHOP AT FL260 JUST N OF SBY. WE EXECUTED THE FIRE INFLT CHKLIST. BASED ON THE ACFT'S LOOP A HISTORY; WE PROCEEDED WITH THE FIRE CHKLIST (DETERMINE BAD LOOP LIGHT) TO GATHER ADDITIONAL INFO. TEST REVEALED A LOOP ABNORMAL WITH B LOOP TESTING NORMAL. PER THE CHKLIST; THE CAPT CHOSE TO FLY IN L ENG B LOOP. I DISCUSSED WITH THE CAPT THAT BECAUSE WE HAD THE B LOOP PLACARDED; THAT TECHNICALLY WE COULD NOT CONFIRM FIRE DETECTION CAPABILITY ON THE L ENG AND THEREFORE WE SHOULD DIVERT. BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE ANY SECONDARIES; B LOOP TESTED NORMAL; A LOOP WAS A REPEAT LOGBOOK ENTRY; WE BOTH AGREED THAT WE MOST LIKELY HAD A FALSE INDICATION; NOT A FIRE. I RECOMMENDED IAD; PHL; OR LGA AS SUITABLE DIVERTS VICE LAND AT NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. THE CAPT ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO FLL. THE ACFT LANDED AT FLL WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.