An air carrier medium large transport had a loss of hydraulic fluid creating smoke in the cabin.

Attributes
ACN	352598
Time
Date	199610
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	352598
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Slowing to 180 KTS, at 210 KTS, called for flaps to 1 degree. Loss of hydraulic fluid in 'a' system, caused smoke in aft cabin. Declared emergency! Proceeded direct to ewr airport. I brought power up on both engines to hurry up arrival to airport. Flight attendants called to cockpit saying heavy thick smoke in cabin. Being distracted, I allowed speed to accelerate to 250 KTS with flaps extended to 1 degree. Slowing aircraft, extended flaps with alternate flap switch to 15 degrees and normal landing and stop on runway at ewr. No damage to flaps or slats noted. This could have been prevented by paying closer attention to flight instruments.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG HAD A LOSS OF HYD FLUID CREATING SMOKE IN THE CABIN.

Narrative: SLOWING TO 180 KTS, AT 210 KTS, CALLED FOR FLAPS TO 1 DEG. LOSS OF HYD FLUID IN 'A' SYS, CAUSED SMOKE IN AFT CABIN. DECLARED EMER! PROCEEDED DIRECT TO EWR ARPT. I BROUGHT PWR UP ON BOTH ENGS TO HURRY UP ARR TO ARPT. FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED TO COCKPIT SAYING HVY THICK SMOKE IN CABIN. BEING DISTRACTED, I ALLOWED SPD TO ACCELERATE TO 250 KTS WITH FLAPS EXTENDED TO 1 DEG. SLOWING ACFT, EXTENDED FLAPS WITH ALTERNATE FLAP SWITCH TO 15 DEGS AND NORMAL LNDG AND STOP ON RWY AT EWR. NO DAMAGE TO FLAPS OR SLATS NOTED. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY PAYING CLOSER ATTN TO FLT INSTS.

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.