Return land by DH8 flight crew mandated by loss of hydraulic fluid in system #2. Emergency declared.

Attributes
ACN	344588
Time
Date	199608
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 24000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 155 flight time total : 2300 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	344588
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flight from den to jac. We were established in cruise flight circumnavigating thunderstorms when the caution light illuminated. We pulled out the QRH, and determined that we had a system leak on the #2 hydraulic system. Based on our distance from our departure airport and company flight operations we decided to return to our departure airport. We spoke with ATC and received our procedures to determine which system on the aircraft would be effective, and tried to speak with our company dispatch on SELCAL. Communications were hampered from an emergency other air carrier airlines was having, so we established contact with our company's operations in denver which relayed messages to our dispatch. After speaking with our company operations in denver we declared an emergency and proceeded toward denver for landing. From having a loss of hydraulic fluid on our #2 system we had to do a manual gear extension. We received our clearance to land, proceeded with the checklist, and we were unable to establish a down and locked indication on the nosewheel gear. At this point we broke off our approach to landing and received vectors to depart the area. Shortly after this, we received a down and locked indication on our nosewheel gear and returned back to the airport for landing. The landing was normal. We taxied clear of the runway and had buses dispatched to the aircraft to deplane the passenger. There were no injuries, incidents, or accidents. I feel the captain and myself handled the emergency well. Our cockpit crew coordination was exercised as the captain continued to fly and speak with ATC and the first officer performed other duties to comply with the emergency and company procedures.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RETURN LAND BY DH8 FLC MANDATED BY LOSS OF HYD FLUID IN SYS #2. EMER DECLARED.

Narrative: FLT FROM DEN TO JAC. WE WERE ESTABLISHED IN CRUISE FLT CIRCUMNAVIGATING TSTMS WHEN THE CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WE PULLED OUT THE QRH, AND DETERMINED THAT WE HAD A SYS LEAK ON THE #2 HYD SYS. BASED ON OUR DISTANCE FROM OUR DEP ARPT AND COMPANY FLT OPS WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO OUR DEP ARPT. WE SPOKE WITH ATC AND RECEIVED OUR PROCS TO DETERMINE WHICH SYS ON THE ACFT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE, AND TRIED TO SPEAK WITH OUR COMPANY DISPATCH ON SELCAL. COMS WERE HAMPERED FROM AN EMER OTHER ACR AIRLINES WAS HAVING, SO WE ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH OUR COMPANY'S OPS IN DENVER WHICH RELAYED MESSAGES TO OUR DISPATCH. AFTER SPEAKING WITH OUR COMPANY OPS IN DENVER WE DECLARED AN EMER AND PROCEEDED TOWARD DENVER FOR LNDG. FROM HAVING A LOSS OF HYD FLUID ON OUR #2 SYS WE HAD TO DO A MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION. WE RECEIVED OUR CLRNC TO LAND, PROCEEDED WITH THE CHKLIST, AND WE WERE UNABLE TO ESTABLISH A DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION ON THE NOSEWHEEL GEAR. AT THIS POINT WE BROKE OFF OUR APCH TO LNDG AND RECEIVED VECTORS TO DEPART THE AREA. SHORTLY AFTER THIS, WE RECEIVED A DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION ON OUR NOSEWHEEL GEAR AND RETURNED BACK TO THE ARPT FOR LNDG. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL. WE TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY AND HAD BUSES DISPATCHED TO THE ACFT TO DEPLANE THE PAX. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, INCIDENTS, OR ACCIDENTS. I FEEL THE CAPT AND MYSELF HANDLED THE EMER WELL. OUR COCKPIT CREW COORD WAS EXERCISED AS THE CAPT CONTINUED TO FLY AND SPEAK WITH ATC AND THE FO PERFORMED OTHER DUTIES TO COMPLY WITH THE EMER AND COMPANY PROCS.

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.