AN A319 PEDESTAL AND OVERHEAD #2 FIRE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. NO AURAL WARNING OR ECAM MSG'S WITH LIGHTS. AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH A RETURN TO LAND.

Narrative

ON DEP CLBING THROUGH 12000 FT; PEDESTAL FIRE LIGHT #2 AND OVERHEAD #2 FIRE SWITCH ILLUMINATED. NO CONCURRENT MASTER CAUTION OR ECAM WARNING WERE OBSERVED. NO SECONDARY FIRE INDICATIONS FROM THE CABIN OR COCKPIT. ADVISED PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS; DECLARED AN EMER WITH CTR; RETURNED FOR UNEVENTFUL 2-ENG LNDG. FIRE DEPT INSPECTED ENG UPON LNDG WITH NO INDICATIONS OF FIRE. TAXIED TO GATE AND SHUT DOWN NORMALLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT BECAUSE NO SECONDARY AURAL OR MASTER CAUTION WARNINGS OCCURRED; THE FLT CREW DID NOT SEE THE LIGHTS WHICH ARE OUT OF THEIR NORMAL FIELD OF VIEW DURING A TKOF EVENT. HOWEVER A JUMPSEAT PILOT POINTED OUT THE LIGHTS TO THE REPORTER. THE CREW ASSUMED AN ACTUAL FIRE BUT HAD DEADHEADING CREW MEMBERS VISUALLY CHECK THE ENG. THE REPORTER ALSO SET THE #2 THRUST LEVER AT IDLE; CHECKED THE FIRE WARNING SYSTEM AND THEN CONCLUDED THAT THE LIGHT INDICATIONS WERE MOST PROBABLY FALSE. HOWEVER; BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL SEVERE CONSEQUENCES OF AN IN FLT FIRE; THE CAPT LEFT THE THRUST LEVER AT IDLE; DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO LAND. MAINTENANCE DISCOVERED THAT A CIRCUIT BOARD ON THE OVERHEAD PANEL CONTROLLING THE #2 FIRE WARNING LIGHTS HAD MALFUNCTIONED. THE BOARD WAS CHANGED AND THE REPORTER FLEW THIS ACFT OUT THE NEXT DAY AND DID NOT HAVE A PROBLEM.