Narrative:

In level cruise flight at FL390, ECAM message: hydraulic B reserve low pressure accompanied by ECAM message: hydraulic B system pressure low. ECAM hydraulic page showed low B system fluid level. Communication procedure was to select the B system electric pump 'off.' conferred with dispatch and maintenance control and decided to divert to mem which we were overflying anyway. Did not declare 'emergency' or request special ATC handling. Landing in mem and taxi to gate was uneventful. While this was a very minor maintenance problem, and put the aircraft in no jeopardy, I was impressed (in hindsight) with the crew's natural tendency to initially follow our company's philosophy of 'fly the airplane first.' when the master caution first illuminated, I instructed the first officer (PF) to monitor the aircraft and ATC while I attended to the ECAM/communication procedures and coordinated with dispatch and maintenance control on VHF-2. This was the first problem of this magnitude (ie, master caution, loss of hydraulic system) that I have had as a PIC, yet the training over the yrs really paid off as we instinctively followed division of duties procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 ACFT IN CRUISE HAD ECAM MESSAGE REGARDING B HYD SYS LOW PRESSURE. THE B SYS ELECTRIC PUMP WAS SELECTED OFF ACCORDING TO SOP, COORD WITH RPTR'S COMPANY MAINT IT WAS DECIDED TO DIVERT AND FLC LANDED UNEVENTFULLY.

Narrative: IN LEVEL CRUISE FLT AT FL390, ECAM MESSAGE: HYD B RESERVE LOW PRESSURE ACCOMPANIED BY ECAM MSG: HYD B SYS PRESSURE LOW. ECAM HYD PAGE SHOWED LOW B SYS FLUID LEVEL. COM PROC WAS TO SELECT THE B SYS ELECTRIC PUMP 'OFF.' CONFERRED WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL AND DECIDED TO DIVERT TO MEM WHICH WE WERE OVERFLYING ANYWAY. DID NOT DECLARE 'EMER' OR REQUEST SPECIAL ATC HANDLING. LNDG IN MEM AND TAXI TO GATE WAS UNEVENTFUL. WHILE THIS WAS A VERY MINOR MAINT PROB, AND PUT THE ACFT IN NO JEOPARDY, I WAS IMPRESSED (IN HINDSIGHT) WITH THE CREW'S NATURAL TENDENCY TO INITIALLY FOLLOW OUR COMPANY'S PHILOSOPHY OF 'FLY THE AIRPLANE FIRST.' WHEN THE MASTER CAUTION FIRST ILLUMINATED, I INSTRUCTED THE FO (PF) TO MONITOR THE ACFT AND ATC WHILE I ATTENDED TO THE ECAM/COM PROCS AND COORDINATED WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL ON VHF-2. THIS WAS THE FIRST PROB OF THIS MAGNITUDE (IE, MASTER CAUTION, LOSS OF HYD SYS) THAT I HAVE HAD AS A PIC, YET THE TRAINING OVER THE YRS REALLY PAID OFF AS WE INSTINCTIVELY FOLLOWED DIVISION OF DUTIES 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.