MD-82
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Distraction; Time Pressure; Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Aircraft Equipment Problem Dissipated; Flight Crew FLC complied w / Automation / Advisory; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
At approximately 13;500 feet during climb-out on the departure; the 'Tail Compartment Temp High' annunciator light illuminated on the Overhead panel; accompanied by the Master Warning Light. The aircraft was leveled at slightly above 13;500 feet and [ATC was advised]. QRH procedures were accomplished and the warning extinguished within two minutes as we began a return to the departure airport. We were initially given a right turn to ZZZ and an initial descent to 8000 ft and were handed off to approach. The Cabin attendants; passengers and company were informed of the nature of the emergency and briefed on the need to return to the departure airport. Further ATC instructions resulted in us departing ZZZ on a 340 degree heading; given a descent to 3;000 feet and visually acquiring the airport at approximately 20 NM; at which time we were cleared for a visual approach to runway 25. On final approach we informed Tower we would be stopping on the runway and would like ARFF to approach the aircraft after coming to a stop. We made contact with ARFF on that same frequency at that time and requested a thermal scan of the tail cone area of the aircraft after we came to a stop. An overweight landing was made on runway 25 at a weight of approximately 142;000 Lb. The landing was uneventful at a minimal sink rate and the aircraft was brought to a stop; since the ARFF equipment was staged in the west end of the 'south pads'. A thermal scan of the empennage of the aircraft confirmed that the tail compartment temperature was not critical and the aircraft was then taxied to [the] gate with one ARFF vehicle accompanying the aircraft to the gate. Passengers were deplaned at the gate. Upon conclusion of the flight; the maintenance discrepancies were entered into the logbook (Tail Compartment Overheat and Overweight landing).
A MD-82 TAIL COMPARTMENT TEMP HI annunciator alerted at about 13;500 FT in the climb so the QRH was completed and the flight returned to the departure airport for an uneventful landing. Thermal imaging on the ground detected no unusual heat.