Narrative:

Location: 20 NM southeast of eau. En route to holding for arrival into msp, received a hydraulic system #1 low quantity alert. Accomplished procedures per MFDU and book. Msp was conducting single runway operations due to snow on runways. Winds out of limits for landing at msp. Alternate winds were also out of limits. Returned to ord runway 27L and requested crash fire rescue equipment to stand by. After asking captain about declaring an emergency, it was decided that it was not necessary. Still feel that we should have declared emergency and after talking with captain, we agreed. Supplemental information from acn 465610: despite the first officer's suggestion, I did not declare an emergency. In hindsight, I probably should have. Book refers to the failure or malfunctioning of an airplane system which compromises safe operation as an emergency. Although the situation did not seem critical at the time, it could have easily deteriorated with the existing conditions. In the future, I will err on the conservative side and declare the emergency despite the possible paperwork involved.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN FK100 FLC DIVERTS TO ORD AFTER DETECTING A PROB WITH #1 HYD SYS. CAPT DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. CREW HAD DISCUSSED THE PARAMETERS FOR THIS DECLARATION. ZMP, MN.

Narrative: LOCATION: 20 NM SE OF EAU. ENRTE TO HOLDING FOR ARR INTO MSP, RECEIVED A HYD SYS #1 LOW QUANTITY ALERT. ACCOMPLISHED PROCS PER MFDU AND BOOK. MSP WAS CONDUCTING SINGLE RWY OPS DUE TO SNOW ON RWYS. WINDS OUT OF LIMITS FOR LNDG AT MSP. ALTERNATE WINDS WERE ALSO OUT OF LIMITS. RETURNED TO ORD RWY 27L AND REQUESTED CFR TO STAND BY. AFTER ASKING CAPT ABOUT DECLARING AN EMER, IT WAS DECIDED THAT IT WAS NOT NECESSARY. STILL FEEL THAT WE SHOULD HAVE DECLARED EMER AND AFTER TALKING WITH CAPT, WE AGREED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 465610: DESPITE THE FO'S SUGGESTION, I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. IN HINDSIGHT, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE. BOOK REFERS TO THE FAILURE OR MALFUNCTIONING OF AN AIRPLANE SYS WHICH COMPROMISES SAFE OP AS AN EMER. ALTHOUGH THE SIT DID NOT SEEM CRITICAL AT THE TIME, IT COULD HAVE EASILY DETERIORATED WITH THE EXISTING CONDITIONS. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL ERR ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE AND DECLARE THE EMER DESPITE THE POSSIBLE PAPERWORK INVOLVED.

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.