A DC9 in cruise at 13000 ft declared an emergency and diverted due to complete loss of right system hydraulic pressure and quantity caused by a leaking rudder power unit.

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Attributes
ACN	389758
Time
Date	199712
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fnt
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 13000 msl bound upper : 13000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zob
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	389758
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Aircraft departed grr at XA42 on runway 26. After initial climb, aircraft leveled at 13000 ft on a heading to intercept the flint transition of the polar arrival to dtw. The first officer noticed the right hydraulic system quantity depleting. Engine driven pump was turned off and abnormal procedure followed. All system remained hydraulic pwred. An emergency was declared in the event further loss of hydraulic system resulted. Aircraft made normal approach and landing. Maintenance found large amount of hydraulic fluid in rear of aircraft but could not readily determine leak. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was a DC9 and maintenance reported the loss of right system hydraulics was caused by a running leak from the rudder power unit.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9 IN CRUISE AT 13000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO COMPLETE LOSS OF R SYS HYD PRESSURE AND QUANTITY CAUSED BY A LEAKING RUDDER PWR UNIT.

Narrative: ACFT DEPARTED GRR AT XA42 ON RWY 26. AFTER INITIAL CLB, ACFT LEVELED AT 13000 FT ON A HDG TO INTERCEPT THE FLINT TRANSITION OF THE POLAR ARR TO DTW. THE FO NOTICED THE R HYD SYS QUANTITY DEPLETING. ENG DRIVEN PUMP WAS TURNED OFF AND ABNORMAL PROC FOLLOWED. ALL SYS REMAINED HYD PWRED. AN EMER WAS DECLARED IN THE EVENT FURTHER LOSS OF HYD SYS RESULTED. ACFT MADE NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. MAINT FOUND LARGE AMOUNT OF HYD FLUID IN REAR OF ACFT BUT COULD NOT READILY DETERMINE LEAK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A DC9 AND MAINT RPTED THE LOSS OF R SYS HYDS WAS CAUSED BY A RUNNING LEAK FROM THE RUDDER PWR UNIT.

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.