Narrative:

At TOC EICAS message -- left engine hydraulic pressure with hydraulic pump pressure light on -- turned off pump southwest as per QRH. System psi normal and system fluid quantity full. I conferred with my dispatcher and maintenance technician and changed my destination from sna to lax. Since the WX was VFR all the way and numerous airports to divert if necessary, we decided to continue the flight since we had system pressure and fluid. About an hour into the flight all hydraulic fluid for the left was lost, however, we still had system pressure and we continued to lax. We had to use alternate flap operations and we landed lax without incident. I had to use differential braking to clear the runway since nosewheel steering was inoperative. The emergency procedures in the QRH states that careful consideration should be given, after a loss of a single hydraulic system, for the continuation of a flight. System to me means everything, pump, psi and fluid. My rational is and was as long as everything was functional and the only problem we would have would be in the landing phase, ie, flaps/gear/steering. We should continue. Landing at abq on lax poses the same problems and the possibility of losing an engine is just as probable at abq or lax. The FAA seems to be concerned that I did not return to dfw! If that is the consensus of opinion then the QRH and emergency procedures should be changed and leave the captain no options other than landing at a suitable airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EICAS WARNING LOSS L HYD PRESSURE WITH HYD PUMP PRESSURE LIGHT ON. NO LOSS FLUID, SYS PSI NORMAL.

Narrative: AT TOC EICAS MESSAGE -- L ENG HYD PRESSURE WITH HYD PUMP PRESSURE LIGHT ON -- TURNED OFF PUMP SW AS PER QRH. SYS PSI NORMAL AND SYS FLUID QUANTITY FULL. I CONFERRED WITH MY DISPATCHER AND MAINT TECHNICIAN AND CHANGED MY DEST FROM SNA TO LAX. SINCE THE WX WAS VFR ALL THE WAY AND NUMEROUS ARPTS TO DIVERT IF NECESSARY, WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE FLT SINCE WE HAD SYS PRESSURE AND FLUID. ABOUT AN HR INTO THE FLT ALL HYD FLUID FOR THE L WAS LOST, HOWEVER, WE STILL HAD SYS PRESSURE AND WE CONTINUED TO LAX. WE HAD TO USE ALTERNATE FLAP OPS AND WE LANDED LAX WITHOUT INCIDENT. I HAD TO USE DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING TO CLR THE RWY SINCE NOSEWHEEL STEERING WAS INOP. THE EMER PROCS IN THE QRH STATES THAT CAREFUL CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN, AFTER A LOSS OF A SINGLE HYD SYS, FOR THE CONTINUATION OF A FLT. SYS TO ME MEANS EVERYTHING, PUMP, PSI AND FLUID. MY RATIONAL IS AND WAS AS LONG AS EVERYTHING WAS FUNCTIONAL AND THE ONLY PROB WE WOULD HAVE WOULD BE IN THE LNDG PHASE, IE, FLAPS/GEAR/STEERING. WE SHOULD CONTINUE. LNDG AT ABQ ON LAX POSES THE SAME PROBS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF LOSING AN ENG IS JUST AS PROBABLE AT ABQ OR LAX. THE FAA SEEMS TO BE CONCERNED THAT I DID NOT RETURN TO DFW! IF THAT IS THE CONSENSUS OF OPINION THEN THE QRH AND EMER PROCS SHOULD BE CHANGED AND LEAVE THE CAPT NO OPTIONS OTHER THAN LNDG AT A SUITABLE ARPT.

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.