Flight crew experiences loss of 'a' hydraulic fluid.

Attributes
ACN	312475
Time
Date	199508
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sfo
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	312475
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument 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 flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During approach to sfo flaps were lowered to 150 degrees with a subsequent less of 'a' system hydraulic pressure and quantity. Both system quantity and pressure were zero. Coordination was established with flight attendants, sfo operations, and an emergency was declared with bay approach control. The appropriate checklists were run with a manual gear drop. A flaps 15 degrees, a system failure, landing was accomplished on sfo runway 28R. The landing was normal and the aircraft was stopped about 2/3 down the runway, so as to not block runway 01, as requested by sfo tower. A tug and a cart with speedy dry was sent to the aircraft. The aircraft was towed off the runway, gear pins in, as required by procedures. Some residual fluid was left on the runway which was cleared with speedy dry, and the runway was reopened. Sfo airfield operations asked that the passenger deplane and be taken to the terminal by bus as the aircraft was still dripping a small amount of residual fluid. This was done through the forward entry door using portable air stairs. Bay approach did an excellent job of vectoring us, and keeping the flight crew clear of traffic, as we were running checklists. The problem appeared to be a leak in #3 slat. Cockpit resource management was the rule, and in my opinion, the entire crew did an excellent job.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC EXPERIENCES LOSS OF 'A' HYD FLUID.

Narrative: DURING APCH TO SFO FLAPS WERE LOWERED TO 150 DEGS WITH A SUBSEQUENT LESS OF 'A' SYS HYD PRESSURE AND QUANTITY. BOTH SYS QUANTITY AND PRESSURE WERE ZERO. COORD WAS ESTABLISHED WITH FLT ATTENDANTS, SFO OPS, AND AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH BAY APCH CTL. THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS WERE RUN WITH A MANUAL GEAR DROP. A FLAPS 15 DEGS, A SYS FAILURE, LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED ON SFO RWY 28R. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL AND THE ACFT WAS STOPPED ABOUT 2/3 DOWN THE RWY, SO AS TO NOT BLOCK RWY 01, AS REQUESTED BY SFO TWR. A TUG AND A CART WITH SPEEDY DRY WAS SENT TO THE ACFT. THE ACFT WAS TOWED OFF THE RWY, GEAR PINS IN, AS REQUIRED BY PROCS. SOME RESIDUAL FLUID WAS LEFT ON THE RWY WHICH WAS CLRED WITH SPEEDY DRY, AND THE RWY WAS REOPENED. SFO AIRFIELD OPS ASKED THAT THE PAX DEPLANE AND BE TAKEN TO THE TERMINAL BY BUS AS THE ACFT WAS STILL DRIPPING A SMALL AMOUNT OF RESIDUAL FLUID. THIS WAS DONE THROUGH THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR USING PORTABLE AIR STAIRS. BAY APCH DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF VECTORING US, AND KEEPING THE FLC CLR OF TFC, AS WE WERE RUNNING CHKLISTS. THE PROB APPEARED TO BE A LEAK IN #3 SLAT. COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT WAS THE RULE, AND IN MY OPINION, THE ENTIRE CREW DID AN EXCELLENT JOB.

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.