Narrative:

At about 5000 ft after takeoff, a total system 'a' hydraulic failure occurred. We followed the immediate action items on our emergency procedure checklist and followed up with the abnormals. We notified ATC that we were declaring an emergency and wanted to return to land at san antonio airport. We asked for extra time to complete the rather extensive abnormal checklist. We circled at about 3000 ft east of the san antonio airport. We called flight control to let them know of our problem. We lowered the gear and flaps by the alternate method according to the checklist. After waiting an adequate amount of time, all of the leading edge devices did not indicate locked into place. We noticed that we had to use a lot of left control wheel displacement to keep the wings level which also confirmed to us that the leading edge devices where asymmetric in their extension. We accomplished the abnormal for leading edge device not fully extended upon extension and realized we needed to add another 30 KTS to our already high approach speed of 149 KTS. We thought about going to the dallas fort worth airport because of the longer runway, but after talking to flight control and estimating that our fuel would be about 5000 pounds upon arrival, we elected to go into kelly air force base. We landed at kelly with an approach speed of 179 KTS and made a smooth touchdown and had no problem keeping the aircraft straight with light differential braking. We had to be towed from the runway as we had no nosewheel steering.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT CONFIGN REQUIRES DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE ARPT DUE TO HIGHER APCH SPD REQUIREMENTS. ACFT EQUIP PROB MALFUNCTION.

Narrative: AT ABOUT 5000 FT AFTER TKOF, A TOTAL SYS 'A' HYD FAILURE OCCURRED. WE FOLLOWED THE IMMEDIATE ACTION ITEMS ON OUR EMER PROC CHKLIST AND FOLLOWED UP WITH THE ABNORMALS. WE NOTIFIED ATC THAT WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER AND WANTED TO RETURN TO LAND AT SAN ANTONIO ARPT. WE ASKED FOR EXTRA TIME TO COMPLETE THE RATHER EXTENSIVE ABNORMAL CHKLIST. WE CIRCLED AT ABOUT 3000 FT E OF THE SAN ANTONIO ARPT. WE CALLED FLT CTL TO LET THEM KNOW OF OUR PROB. WE LOWERED THE GEAR AND FLAPS BY THE ALTERNATE METHOD ACCORDING TO THE CHKLIST. AFTER WAITING AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF TIME, ALL OF THE LEADING EDGE DEVICES DID NOT INDICATE LOCKED INTO PLACE. WE NOTICED THAT WE HAD TO USE A LOT OF L CTL WHEEL DISPLACEMENT TO KEEP THE WINGS LEVEL WHICH ALSO CONFIRMED TO US THAT THE LEADING EDGE DEVICES WHERE ASYMMETRIC IN THEIR EXTENSION. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE ABNORMAL FOR LEADING EDGE DEVICE NOT FULLY EXTENDED UPON EXTENSION AND REALIZED WE NEEDED TO ADD ANOTHER 30 KTS TO OUR ALREADY HIGH APCH SPD OF 149 KTS. WE THOUGHT ABOUT GOING TO THE DALLAS FORT WORTH ARPT BECAUSE OF THE LONGER RWY, BUT AFTER TALKING TO FLT CTL AND ESTIMATING THAT OUR FUEL WOULD BE ABOUT 5000 LBS UPON ARR, WE ELECTED TO GO INTO KELLY AIR FORCE BASE. WE LANDED AT KELLY WITH AN APCH SPD OF 179 KTS AND MADE A SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN AND HAD NO PROB KEEPING THE ACFT STRAIGHT WITH LIGHT DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING. WE HAD TO BE TOWED FROM THE RWY AS WE HAD NO NOSEWHEEL STEERING.

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.