Light transport has hydraulic failure, hand pumps gear down. Declares emergency as precaution. Poor ...

Attributes
ACN	229185
Time
Date	199212
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : msp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	229185
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Loss of hydraulics. Had to lower gear with hand pump. Declared emergency as a precautionary measure. 2 weeks earlier same aircraft had lost all hydraulic fluid on the ramp. Maintenance of aircraft at this commuter (regional) airline is atrociously bad as ceo squeezes more profits to feed his insatiable greed. Frequency of mechanics falsifying corrective action in the maintenance log (i.e., 'pencil-whipping') on significant increase. Number of store-bought off-the-shelf unapproved parts on the aircraft also on the increase. FAA does not look close enough. Somebody do something before there is another air carrier X/air carrier Y type accident! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback made to inform reporter of FAA hot line number. Reporter stated that a company light transport had the wheels fall off on landing recently. That is being investigated by the NTSB. Reporter feels maybe this will cause some maintenance changes. Reporter major concern is that any time an incident occurs the specific problem is investigated but not the overall, ongoing maintenance procedures. This is where the emphasis needs to be placed so regulations are complied with.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT HAS HYD FAILURE, HAND PUMPS GEAR DOWN. DECLARES EMER AS PRECAUTION. POOR COMPANY MAINT CITED.

Narrative: LOSS OF HYDS. HAD TO LOWER GEAR WITH HAND PUMP. DECLARED EMER AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. 2 WKS EARLIER SAME ACFT HAD LOST ALL HYD FLUID ON THE RAMP. MAINT OF ACFT AT THIS COMMUTER (REGIONAL) AIRLINE IS ATROCIOUSLY BAD AS CEO SQUEEZES MORE PROFITS TO FEED HIS INSATIABLE GREED. FREQ OF MECHS FALSIFYING CORRECTIVE ACTION IN THE MAINT LOG (I.E., 'PENCIL-WHIPPING') ON SIGNIFICANT INCREASE. NUMBER OF STORE-BOUGHT OFF-THE-SHELF UNAPPROVED PARTS ON THE ACFT ALSO ON THE INCREASE. FAA DOES NOT LOOK CLOSE ENOUGH. SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING BEFORE THERE IS ANOTHER ACR X/ACR Y TYPE ACCIDENT! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK MADE TO INFORM RPTR OF FAA HOT LINE NUMBER. RPTR STATED THAT A COMPANY LTT HAD THE WHEELS FALL OFF ON LNDG RECENTLY. THAT IS BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE NTSB. RPTR FEELS MAYBE THIS WILL CAUSE SOME MAINT CHANGES. RPTR MAJOR CONCERN IS THAT ANY TIME AN INCIDENT OCCURS THE SPECIFIC PROB IS INVESTIGATED BUT NOT THE OVERALL, ONGOING MAINT PROCS. THIS IS WHERE THE EMPHASIS NEEDS TO BE PLACED SO REGS ARE COMPLIED WITH.

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.

Light transport has hydraulic failure, hand pumps gear down. Declares emergency as precaution. Poor company maintenance cited.