Narrative:

While on my first leg as a new A300 captain I was making a profile descent into lax. I had been asked to slow to 180 KTS and had extended the leading edges and flaps to help control the speed, while complying with the altitude restrs. After crossing bremr intersection I extended the spoilers then reached up to select 10000 ft on the altitude select knob and arm it. Just as I started to rotate the knob we got a master caution light and chime followed by an ECAM warning checklist page. The green hydraulic system fluid was down to the red DOT (low warning). I stopped what I was doing and assigned first officer to handle the problem while I flew the airplane. The ECAM message said to turn off the green pumps, however, the first officer wanted to delay that. To avoid spoiler float I immediately retracted them. Within a few seconds the ECAM warning went away. While trying to figure out this problem I noticed that the lower altitude had not been selected for the arnes intersection restr. With less than a mi to go, I clicked off the autoplt and pushed over. We crossed arnes approximately 800 ft high. The landing was uneventful. Maintenance was notified and checked the system. They found it at the minimum normal range and svced it. The mechanic told me that he had heard this before during times of high hydraulic use.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. HYD SYS LOW, WARNING CHIME AND ECAM MSG DISTR RPTR CAPT FROM SETTING PROPER XING ALT. SHORTLY AFTER THE SPOILERS WERE RETRACTED THE WARNING DISAPPEARED. ALTDEV. XING RESTR NOT MET.

Narrative: WHILE ON MY FIRST LEG AS A NEW A300 CAPT I WAS MAKING A PROFILE DSCNT INTO LAX. I HAD BEEN ASKED TO SLOW TO 180 KTS AND HAD EXTENDED THE LEADING EDGES AND FLAPS TO HELP CTL THE SPD, WHILE COMPLYING WITH THE ALT RESTRS. AFTER XING BREMR INTXN I EXTENDED THE SPOILERS THEN REACHED UP TO SELECT 10000 FT ON THE ALT SELECT KNOB AND ARM IT. JUST AS I STARTED TO ROTATE THE KNOB WE GOT A MASTER CAUTION LIGHT AND CHIME FOLLOWED BY AN ECAM WARNING CHKLIST PAGE. THE GREEN HYD SYS FLUID WAS DOWN TO THE RED DOT (LOW WARNING). I STOPPED WHAT I WAS DOING AND ASSIGNED FO TO HANDLE THE PROB WHILE I FLEW THE AIRPLANE. THE ECAM MSG SAID TO TURN OFF THE GREEN PUMPS, HOWEVER, THE FO WANTED TO DELAY THAT. TO AVOID SPOILER FLOAT I IMMEDIATELY RETRACTED THEM. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS THE ECAM WARNING WENT AWAY. WHILE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THIS PROB I NOTICED THAT THE LOWER ALT HAD NOT BEEN SELECTED FOR THE ARNES INTXN RESTR. WITH LESS THAN A MI TO GO, I CLICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND PUSHED OVER. WE CROSSED ARNES APPROX 800 FT HIGH. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. MAINT WAS NOTIFIED AND CHKED THE SYS. THEY FOUND IT AT THE MINIMUM NORMAL RANGE AND SVCED IT. THE MECH TOLD ME THAT HE HAD HEARD THIS BEFORE DURING TIMES OF HIGH HYD USE.

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.