Narrative:

On departure, prior to selecting flaps zero, we suffered a total loss of fluid and pressure with the normal hydraulic system. Working through the problem, we entered a VFR hold over svmi (caracas) at 10000 ft. We initially decided to return, unable to retract the flaps. However, prior to initiating a 'pressure check, terminal area' checklist, the flap indicator showed flaps at zero. We returned to our original destination, fll, and landed uneventfully. The tower rolled crash fire rescue equipment. Overall, the situation was an abnormal, not an emergency. The purpose of this debrief is this. Due to frequency congestion and language barrier, I was unable to obtain a proper holding clearance. We held, somewhat, VFR over svmi at 10000 ft in a non radar environment. Also, the approach controller issued us a lower altitude clearance twice -- once while working our problem and once after I had told him our new destination and plans. Only after getting a new controller that spoke better english were we able to get our point across. He informed us that curcao control had canceled our IFR flight plan, and that we would have to land to refile. Landing at svmi was not an option (the aircraft would have required a new hydraulic line and maintenance) stranding the aircraft. The controller was able to refile and we were soon on our way. Caracas is a relatively busy airport with numerous jet departures and arrs. The potential for a conflict I felt was high. The controller would not respond to our calls for handling, continuing to talk to other aircraft in spanish. Extremely frustrating. I felt after we first told him of our problem, we should have been properly handled first. Secondly, our flight plan should not have been canceled unless I requested it to be. Loss of hydraulics in a DC8 is initially a problem until we run appropriate checklists to see what we have. We are an aircraft in distress until that point, and should be able to communicate with ATC unimpeded. Curacao should not have canceled our flight plan and caracas should have given us 'communications priority.' they need to be aware of this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF DC8 HAS HYD FAILURE WITH FLAPS EXTENDED. CHKLIST USED AND FLAPS EVENTUALLY RETURN TO ZERO. DIFFICULTY COMMUNICATING WITH DEP CTLR LANGUAGE PROB. UNABLE TO RECEIVE CLRNC TO GET INTO HOLD WHILE TROUBLESHOOTING.

Narrative: ON DEP, PRIOR TO SELECTING FLAPS ZERO, WE SUFFERED A TOTAL LOSS OF FLUID AND PRESSURE WITH THE NORMAL HYD SYS. WORKING THROUGH THE PROB, WE ENTERED A VFR HOLD OVER SVMI (CARACAS) AT 10000 FT. WE INITIALLY DECIDED TO RETURN, UNABLE TO RETRACT THE FLAPS. HOWEVER, PRIOR TO INITIATING A 'PRESSURE CHK, TERMINAL AREA' CHKLIST, THE FLAP INDICATOR SHOWED FLAPS AT ZERO. WE RETURNED TO OUR ORIGINAL DEST, FLL, AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. THE TWR ROLLED CFR. OVERALL, THE SIT WAS AN ABNORMAL, NOT AN EMER. THE PURPOSE OF THIS DEBRIEF IS THIS. DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION AND LANGUAGE BARRIER, I WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN A PROPER HOLDING CLRNC. WE HELD, SOMEWHAT, VFR OVER SVMI AT 10000 FT IN A NON RADAR ENVIRONMENT. ALSO, THE APCH CTLR ISSUED US A LOWER ALT CLRNC TWICE -- ONCE WHILE WORKING OUR PROB AND ONCE AFTER I HAD TOLD HIM OUR NEW DEST AND PLANS. ONLY AFTER GETTING A NEW CTLR THAT SPOKE BETTER ENGLISH WERE WE ABLE TO GET OUR POINT ACROSS. HE INFORMED US THAT CURCAO CTL HAD CANCELED OUR IFR FLT PLAN, AND THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO LAND TO REFILE. LNDG AT SVMI WAS NOT AN OPTION (THE ACFT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED A NEW HYD LINE AND MAINT) STRANDING THE ACFT. THE CTLR WAS ABLE TO REFILE AND WE WERE SOON ON OUR WAY. CARACAS IS A RELATIVELY BUSY ARPT WITH NUMEROUS JET DEPS AND ARRS. THE POTENTIAL FOR A CONFLICT I FELT WAS HIGH. THE CTLR WOULD NOT RESPOND TO OUR CALLS FOR HANDLING, CONTINUING TO TALK TO OTHER ACFT IN SPANISH. EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING. I FELT AFTER WE FIRST TOLD HIM OF OUR PROB, WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROPERLY HANDLED FIRST. SECONDLY, OUR FLT PLAN SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CANCELED UNLESS I REQUESTED IT TO BE. LOSS OF HYDS IN A DC8 IS INITIALLY A PROB UNTIL WE RUN APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS TO SEE WHAT WE HAVE. WE ARE AN ACFT IN DISTRESS UNTIL THAT POINT, AND SHOULD BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ATC UNIMPEDED. CURACAO SHOULD NOT HAVE CANCELED OUR FLT PLAN AND CARACAS SHOULD HAVE GIVEN US 'COMS PRIORITY.' THEY NEED TO BE AWARE OF THIS.

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.