Hydraulic system failure.

Attributes
ACN	290039
Time
Date	199410
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : idu airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 18000 msl bound upper : 18000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 260 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	290039
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	287142
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

Hydraulic brake fuse plug cracked allowing total left system failure. Diverted flight back to iah. Company checklists are poor and require much xrefing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter and this grizzled veteran analyst agree that most aircraft flight manuals that we have seen are poorly written and hard to follow. The reporter would like to see new ones available to him, but he is unwilling to spend the time to do the re-write by himself. Of course, his air carrier would like him to do it for free. The current manuals are acceptable and have been approved by the FAA, so they will be revised and improved on a piecemeal basis. Supplemental information from acn 287142: the r-hand system remained normal. All system were available via the r-hand hydraulic system and/or backup hydraulic accumulators. We requested the equipment to standby.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HYD SYS FAILURE.

Narrative: HYD BRAKE FUSE PLUG CRACKED ALLOWING TOTAL L SYS FAILURE. DIVERTED FLT BACK TO IAH. COMPANY CHKLISTS ARE POOR AND REQUIRE MUCH XREFING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR AND THIS GRIZZLED VETERAN ANALYST AGREE THAT MOST ACFT FLT MANUALS THAT WE HAVE SEEN ARE POORLY WRITTEN AND HARD TO FOLLOW. THE RPTR WOULD LIKE TO SEE NEW ONES AVAILABLE TO HIM, BUT HE IS UNWILLING TO SPEND THE TIME TO DO THE RE-WRITE BY HIMSELF. OF COURSE, HIS ACR WOULD LIKE HIM TO DO IT FOR FREE. THE CURRENT MANUALS ARE ACCEPTABLE AND HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE FAA, SO THEY WILL BE REVISED AND IMPROVED ON A PIECEMEAL BASIS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 287142: THE R-HAND SYS REMAINED NORMAL. ALL SYS WERE AVAILABLE VIA THE R-HAND HYD SYS AND/OR BACKUP HYD ACCUMULATORS. WE REQUESTED THE EQUIP TO STANDBY.

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.