Narrative:

While climbing through FL280, ECAM 'system low pressure' for the green hydraulic system was displayed followed immediately by 'hydraulic reservoir to level' for the same system. ECAM actions were accomplished and a divert to sju ensued. Since we were required to manually lower the landing gear as part of the procedure with subsequent loss of nosewheel steering, we chose sju for support and minimal impact on operations with 2 runways available until we were towed onto a taxiway. We chose to configure the aircraft for landing at 3000 ft approximately 20 mi from sju to expedite fuel consumption and allow touchdown below the maximum landing weight. Maintenance towed us to the gate and found a pinhole on the slat retract module which caused the loss of fluid. Supplemental information from acn 471025: my log entry reflected a weight of 306000 pounds and yet sju maintenance required me to augment the write-up with a sink rate so a proper inspection could be made. I reiterated that our afm reflects a maximum landing weight of 308650 pounds and in combination with other requires, did not necessitate an overweight inspection. However, sju maintenance showed me that their reference manual indicates the need for an overweight inspection for weights exceeding 304230 pounds and a sink rate of 1.8M/south we traditionally land at weights between these 2 figures and do not annotate it in the log because our manual states that it is not required. Please clarify the requirements and make the necessary changes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIRBUS CREW DIVERTS DUE TO HYD FLUID LOSS FROM FAILED SLAT RETRACT MODULE. DURING FOLLOW-UP PAPERWORK IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT MAINT AND FLT DEPTS HAVE DIFFERENT LNDG WT LIMITS FOR THIS TYPE OF ACFT.

Narrative: WHILE CLBING THROUGH FL280, ECAM 'SYS LOW PRESSURE' FOR THE GREEN HYD SYS WAS DISPLAYED FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY 'HYD RESERVOIR TO LEVEL' FOR THE SAME SYS. ECAM ACTIONS WERE ACCOMPLISHED AND A DIVERT TO SJU ENSUED. SINCE WE WERE REQUIRED TO MANUALLY LOWER THE LNDG GEAR AS PART OF THE PROC WITH SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF NOSEWHEEL STEERING, WE CHOSE SJU FOR SUPPORT AND MINIMAL IMPACT ON OPS WITH 2 RWYS AVAILABLE UNTIL WE WERE TOWED ONTO A TXWY. WE CHOSE TO CONFIGURE THE ACFT FOR LNDG AT 3000 FT APPROX 20 MI FROM SJU TO EXPEDITE FUEL CONSUMPTION AND ALLOW TOUCHDOWN BELOW THE MAX LNDG WT. MAINT TOWED US TO THE GATE AND FOUND A PINHOLE ON THE SLAT RETRACT MODULE WHICH CAUSED THE LOSS OF FLUID. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 471025: MY LOG ENTRY REFLECTED A WT OF 306000 LBS AND YET SJU MAINT REQUIRED ME TO AUGMENT THE WRITE-UP WITH A SINK RATE SO A PROPER INSPECTION COULD BE MADE. I REITERATED THAT OUR AFM REFLECTS A MAX LNDG WT OF 308650 LBS AND IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER REQUIRES, DID NOT NECESSITATE AN OVERWT INSPECTION. HOWEVER, SJU MAINT SHOWED ME THAT THEIR REF MANUAL INDICATES THE NEED FOR AN OVERWT INSPECTION FOR WTS EXCEEDING 304230 LBS AND A SINK RATE OF 1.8M/S WE TRADITIONALLY LAND AT WTS BTWN THESE 2 FIGURES AND DO NOT ANNOTATE IT IN THE LOG BECAUSE OUR MANUAL STATES THAT IT IS NOT REQUIRED. PLEASE CLARIFY THE REQUIREMENTS AND MAKE THE NECESSARY CHANGES.

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.