AN MD80 FLC RETURN LAND AFTER THE MASTER CAUTION WARNING SYS INDICATES A HIGH TEMP INDICATION IN THE TAIL COMPARTMENT AT DFW; TX.

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CLBING OUT OF DFW ON THE DALLAS 6 DEP; WE HAD A TAIL COMPARTMENT TEMP HIGH LIGHT ILLUMINATE. WE COMPLETED THE RED BOX ITEMS AND THE LIGHT WENT OUT FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS; THEN THE LIGHT REILLUMINATED AND WE RETURNED TO DFW. THE LNDG WT WAS 12900 LBS (1000 LBS OVER MAX LNDG WT). THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND WE TAXIED IN TO THE GATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CAPT RPTR SAID THAT THE LIGHT STAYED OUT AS LONG AS THE THROTTLES WERE IN THE CLOSED POS. HE CANNOT REMEMBER IF THEY HAD DECLARED AN EMER OR NOT; BEING SO BUSY WITH ATC AND RUNNING CHKLISTS. POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED A HOLE IN THE HIGH PRESSURE BLEED AIR SYS THAT PROVIDED ANTI-ICE CAPABILITY TO THE TAIL SURFACES. HE ADDED THAT THIS KIND OF WARNING IS NOT UNUSUAL DURING THE SUMMER SEASON WITH THE APU OPERATING. IN THIS CASE IT WASN'T ON. HE ALSO STATED THAT THIS RED BOX CHKLIST ITEM OF A HIGH TEMP IN THE TAIL SECTION IS A MEMORY ITEM WHICH IS PRACTICED IN THE SIMULATOR QUITE OFTEN. RPTR WAS NOT AWARE OF OTHER SIMILAR EVENTS WITH THE MD80.