Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Workload; Training / Qualification; Time Pressure; Troubleshooting
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew FLC complied w / Automation / Advisory; General Maintenance Action; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Declared Emergency
Company Policy; Aircraft
TAIL COMP TEMP HI red light illuminated on climb at approximately FL200. Leveled and accomplished red box steps and the light extinguished. We declared emergency; decided return to [the airport] was best action; requested ARFF. Did the QRH procedures; TEST briefed flight attendants and PA to passengers. First Officer flew aircraft and handled communication and coordination with ATC. The TEMP HI red light re-illuminated and extinguished two more times; and the PRES FLOW light also went on then off. CFR's mandate the Captain land aircraft emergencies; so I took over as pilot flying and asked First Officer to review and insure QRH and checklists were performed satisfactorily. We discussed factors pertinent to our situation: overweight landing; hot day; crosswind; reported wind shear; required landing distance; post landing PA; communications with command; operations contact; etc. Then concentrated on flying visual 17R; ILS backup and exited runway in front of awaiting ARFF. Their exterior inspection saw nothing abnormal; so we requested they follow our taxi to the gate. Maintenance came into the cockpit immediately; but no ground personnel arrived to connect PCA on this 100-degree day; for a long time. Maintenance inspected the tail compartment and said the temperature taps were badly blackened; so the aircraft was taken out of service. Company policy leaves continued flying to the flight crew's discretion after an emergency. First Officer and I discussed and noticed we were feeling fatigue effects due to the arduous emergency; and decided the safe and sensible course was to remove selves from further piloting today. Recalling my football days a hundred years ago; it took a couple post game hours before one felt bruises and damage. So it was this day. Once the whirlwind of the emergency slowed; the strain of its impact was felt and like a NiCad battery; I rapidly lost all charge (well within my 14 hour duty day). Had we continued Piloting; this unplugging would've coincided mid flight where we'd be handling weather; possible divert; etc.; which was the situation that day (and maybe another emergency). Company pay adjusted our schedule approximately 7 hours less than the original sequence; in essence; monetarily penalizing us for self-removal. Hopefully that's not the intent; but it's disconcerting the perceived 'reward' for our job of successfully handling a taxing and stressful emergency; is to get pay docked. This is clear financial disincentive to any pilot in the future; to self-remove after similar emergencies. Coercing a spent pilot to ride a cockpit just to protect a pay month is a severe compromise to flight safety.
An MD-80 TAIL COMP TEMP HI warning illuminated climbing through FL200 so the QRH was completed; an emergency was declared and the flight returned to the departure where the aircraft was removed from service because of heat damage.