Narrative:

After gear and flap retraction, #1 'a' hydraulic pump low pressure light flickered along with the master caution light. Shortly thereafter system 'a' hydraulic pressure dropped to zero and hydraulic quantity dropped to zero. Captain declared emergency and climb was stopped at 5000 ft MSL. First officer continued to fly while the captain ran the QRH loss of system 'a' hydraulic checklist. Captain then assumed flying duties while the first officer ran the overweight landing and loss of system 'a' preliminary landing and loss of system 'a' landing checklists. Flight attendants prepared cabin for a normal landing. Captain landed aircraft on runway 36R, rolled out to the end and turned off onto taxiway where airport safety personnel inspected the exterior of the aircraft. After being released by safety personnel, the captain waited an additional 10-15 mins before having maintenance personnel tow aircraft to the gate. Logbook entries were made for the loss of system 'a' hydraulics and overweight landing. The QRH worked well, but there is little guidance on the length of time to let brakes cool. Rejected takeoff and quick turn around charts all not directly applicable. On final approach, the tower turned an MD80 in front of us. The MD80 was told to spend minimum time on runway 36R because of our situation. Slight s-turns were made to make sure the MD80 would be clear of the runway. Although this had no bearing on the outcome, it was an unneeded distraction.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737, LOSS OF PRIMARY HYD SYS AND FUEL RETURNS TO MCO TO LAND. EMER DECLARED.

Narrative: AFTER GEAR AND FLAP RETRACTION, #1 'A' HYD PUMP LOW PRESSURE LIGHT FLICKERED ALONG WITH THE MASTER CAUTION LIGHT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER SYS 'A' HYD PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO AND HYD QUANTITY DROPPED TO ZERO. CAPT DECLARED EMER AND CLB WAS STOPPED AT 5000 FT MSL. FO CONTINUED TO FLY WHILE THE CAPT RAN THE QRH LOSS OF SYS 'A' HYD CHKLIST. CAPT THEN ASSUMED FLYING DUTIES WHILE THE FO RAN THE OVERWT LNDG AND LOSS OF SYS 'A' PRELIMINARY LNDG AND LOSS OF SYS 'A' LNDG CHKLISTS. FLT ATTENDANTS PREPARED CABIN FOR A NORMAL LNDG. CAPT LANDED ACFT ON RWY 36R, ROLLED OUT TO THE END AND TURNED OFF ONTO TXWY WHERE ARPT SAFETY PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE EXTERIOR OF THE ACFT. AFTER BEING RELEASED BY SAFETY PERSONNEL, THE CAPT WAITED AN ADDITIONAL 10-15 MINS BEFORE HAVING MAINT PERSONNEL TOW ACFT TO THE GATE. LOGBOOK ENTRIES WERE MADE FOR THE LOSS OF SYS 'A' HYDS AND OVERWT LNDG. THE QRH WORKED WELL, BUT THERE IS LITTLE GUIDANCE ON THE LENGTH OF TIME TO LET BRAKES COOL. RTO AND QUICK TURN AROUND CHARTS ALL NOT DIRECTLY APPLICABLE. ON FINAL APCH, THE TWR TURNED AN MD80 IN FRONT OF US. THE MD80 WAS TOLD TO SPEND MINIMUM TIME ON RWY 36R BECAUSE OF OUR SIT. SLIGHT S-TURNS WERE MADE TO MAKE SURE THE MD80 WOULD BE CLR OF THE RWY. ALTHOUGH THIS HAD NO BEARING ON THE OUTCOME, IT WAS AN UNNEEDED DISTR.

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.