Narrative:

On climb out from FL200 to FL230, master caution light illuminated with right hydraulic low pressure message. Copilot was flying. The checklist for hydraulic low pressure and system failure was accomplished. We contacted company and determined that return to bwi was most appropriate. Declared an emergency with ZDC and began a return to baltimore. I discussed the procedure with the copilot and we decided ahead of time that if everything was to proceed normally, he would continue to fly the aircraft and I would coordinate checklist accomplishment, communications and insure that emergency equipment was standing by. Descent into approach phase went normally, however on extended final when we went to extend the gear, the gear would not extend normally. As per our earlier discussions, I assumed the controls of the aircraft and the copilot proceeded to extend the gear manually. From here on in the approach and landing were uneventful. On landing, the gear doors dropped on rollout and came into contact with the runway. The aircraft was brought to a stop on the runway and the gear pinned and a tug towed the aircraft to the gate. As far as human factors are involved, everything proceeded smoothly. I attribute the smoothness to the fact that our cockpit communications were accomplished early in the event. We had a plan for the expected eventualities, and when they did in fact occur the change of control of the aircraft was smooth and we both knew our tasks. I would also like to commend ZDC, washington approach, baltimore approach, baltimore tower, ground, and emergency crew for their smooth work and accommodation of any requests we had. All aspects of the system worked so well that this incident became almost a non event!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF ACR MLG ACFT DECLARED EMER AND RETURNED TO THE DEP ARPT BECAUSE OF HYD SYS FAILURE.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM FL200 TO FL230, MASTER CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITH R HYD LOW PRESSURE MESSAGE. COPLT WAS FLYING. THE CHKLIST FOR HYD LOW PRESSURE AND SYS FAILURE WAS ACCOMPLISHED. WE CONTACTED COMPANY AND DETERMINED THAT RETURN TO BWI WAS MOST APPROPRIATE. DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZDC AND BEGAN A RETURN TO BALTIMORE. I DISCUSSED THE PROC WITH THE COPLT AND WE DECIDED AHEAD OF TIME THAT IF EVERYTHING WAS TO PROCEED NORMALLY, HE WOULD CONTINUE TO FLY THE ACFT AND I WOULD COORDINATE CHKLIST ACCOMPLISHMENT, COMS AND INSURE THAT EMER EQUIP WAS STANDING BY. DSCNT INTO APCH PHASE WENT NORMALLY, HOWEVER ON EXTENDED FINAL WHEN WE WENT TO EXTEND THE GEAR, THE GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND NORMALLY. AS PER OUR EARLIER DISCUSSIONS, I ASSUMED THE CTLS OF THE ACFT AND THE COPLT PROCEEDED TO EXTEND THE GEAR MANUALLY. FROM HERE ON IN THE APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. ON LNDG, THE GEAR DOORS DROPPED ON ROLLOUT AND CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE RWY. THE ACFT WAS BROUGHT TO A STOP ON THE RWY AND THE GEAR PINNED AND A TUG TOWED THE ACFT TO THE GATE. AS FAR AS HUMAN FACTORS ARE INVOLVED, EVERYTHING PROCEEDED SMOOTHLY. I ATTRIBUTE THE SMOOTHNESS TO THE FACT THAT OUR COCKPIT COMS WERE ACCOMPLISHED EARLY IN THE EVENT. WE HAD A PLAN FOR THE EXPECTED EVENTUALITIES, AND WHEN THEY DID IN FACT OCCUR THE CHANGE OF CTL OF THE ACFT WAS SMOOTH AND WE BOTH KNEW OUR TASKS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO COMMEND ZDC, WASHINGTON APCH, BALTIMORE APCH, BALTIMORE TWR, GND, AND EMER CREW FOR THEIR SMOOTH WORK AND ACCOMMODATION OF ANY REQUESTS WE HAD. ALL ASPECTS OF THE SYS WORKED SO WELL THAT THIS INCIDENT BECAME ALMOST A NON EVENT!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.