Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Total 25000
Troubleshooting; Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew FLC complied w / Automation / Advisory; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; General Declared Emergency
Aircraft
As Captain; I was the pilot flying. A 'FIRE CARGO FWD' EICAS message appeared. We followed the QRH checklist. As per my direction; the Relief Pilot; the pilot not flying; called ATC and declared an Emergency. I called back to the crew rest bunk to have the First Officer come back to the cockpit. I elected to divert to ZZZ because it was the closest suitable alternate. The Relief Pilot asked ATC for clearance to the divert airport. I turned the aircraft toward that airport. ATC cleared us to the divert airport. The First Officer came back into the cockpit. We proceeded to the divert airport and landed without further incident. The event occurred just as the Relief Pilot was sitting down from getting our meals. The FIRE CARGO FWD light remained illuminated through the entire event. I contacted Dispatch to inform of the deviation and confirm with her to suitability of the airport as an alternate. The First Officer came back to the cockpit was briefed and became the pilot flying. I then briefed the Purser as to the type of emergency; evacuation possibilities; signal to be used; and time remaining airborne. I made a PA to the passengers that we were diverting and to follow the flight attendant directions. I requested Fire Fighters to meet the aircraft through ATC and Dispatch. We began the decent and briefed the weather; VMC; and the approach. I asked the First Officer and Relief Pilot if they could think of anything that we missed. We continued the approach; ILS 23; and landing; nice; and taxied clear of the runway and stopped on the taxiway so ARFF could look for any signs of fire. There were none! I taxied to the ramp with ARFF in tow; air stairs were brought to the aircraft and the passengers deplaned.
I was taking my crew rest break (3rd) and was called up to address the CARGO FIRE FWD indication that was being displayed on the EICAS. There were no other indications of a fire from the flight attendants or other system synopsis. I did monitor the AIR Synoptic throughout the emergency to monitor the temperature in the cargo areas. The Captain and Relief Pilot had already started the checklist and were approximately halfway through when I arrived. I was briefed on what part of the checklists had been accomplished and where we were planning to divert to. The Captain assigned me to pilot flying because it was my leg and the Relief Pilot and Captain were coordinating with ATC; Dispatch; Maintenance and the flight attendants. The Captain briefed T.E.S.T. with myself and the flight attendants and further explained in more detail what the current situation was and how the evacuation would be changed if the conditions warranted. We were proceeding directly to the closest airport and maintained .84 MACH and remained at a faster that normal speed until reaching the final approach portion of the approach were we slowed to normal speed. The Captain informed the passengers that we were diverting due to a mechanical issue so as not to cause any undue stress on the passengers. We landed without incident. We coordinated with Airfield Rescue and Fire Fighters to meet us apron landing in a taxiway were they inspected the cargo areas with inferred sensors. They notified us that there were no indications of heat and cleared us to taxi. We taxied to a hard spot and had coordinated for air-stairs to meet us once parked. The passengers debarked and were led to the terminal where they waited. We spent several hours coordinating with Dispatch and Tracking on our next course of action. We proceeded to the hotel for crew rest and then returned to the airport to ferry the airplane back to our planned destination with the flight attendants. The cargo was removed from the aircraft while we were in crew rest. Flight was uneventful.
A B-777 EICAS alerted CARGO FIRE FWD at cruise; so an emergency was declared; a diversion to a nearby airport begun and the QRH completed followed by an uneventful landing. An actual fire was not detected by Fire Fighters.