Narrative:

We had a normal takeoff flight XXX. 15 mins of climbing. We did not hear the first chime indicating the first passenger PA. We assumed the pilot forgot to make a PA. We left our jump seats and began our service. As I walked into the first class galley, I heard a very loud and alarming noise. The #1 flight attendant went directly into the cockpit. The captain held up his hand to indicate that he could not communicate at that time. Flight attendant #1 came out of the cockpit and relayed this to us. We waited a few mins and the pilot came on the PA and announced that we had lost the hydraulics on 1 of the 3 system. The noise we heard was the landing gear being lowered (which he mentioned was procedure). He announced there was no immediate danger and we would be returning to dfw immediately. All flight attendants retrieved our manuals, since we were unsure of planned emergency evacuate/evacuation. We prepared the cabin and were seated in our jump seats. On approach, we received a call from the cockpit that it would be a hard and fast landing. We landed -- the passenger clapped. We were met with fire trucks and ambulances. We stayed on the runway approximately 1 hour and then were towed to the gate. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that when the flight attendants got out their manuals to go over the emergency landing checklist, the passenger got very nervous. The captain did calm them down a little bit when he announced that the normal procedure for landing with this hydraulic problem was to be met with fire trucks and ambulances, so they knew to expect them and there was no further panic. The reason they sat on the runway for over 1 hour was because their brakes were so hot and they wanted them to cool down before taxiing it to a gate. The plane was taken OTS, and the passenger xferred to another plane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, B757, DFW-SNA. DEVELOPED HYDS PROB ON CLBOUT. RETURN TO DFW. EMER EQUIP MET FLT. HARD LNDG. PLANE TAKEN OTS.

Narrative: WE HAD A NORMAL TKOF FLT XXX. 15 MINS OF CLBING. WE DID NOT HEAR THE FIRST CHIME INDICATING THE FIRST PAX PA. WE ASSUMED THE PLT FORGOT TO MAKE A PA. WE LEFT OUR JUMP SEATS AND BEGAN OUR SVC. AS I WALKED INTO THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY, I HEARD A VERY LOUD AND ALARMING NOISE. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT WENT DIRECTLY INTO THE COCKPIT. THE CAPT HELD UP HIS HAND TO INDICATE THAT HE COULD NOT COMMUNICATE AT THAT TIME. FLT ATTENDANT #1 CAME OUT OF THE COCKPIT AND RELAYED THIS TO US. WE WAITED A FEW MINS AND THE PLT CAME ON THE PA AND ANNOUNCED THAT WE HAD LOST THE HYDS ON 1 OF THE 3 SYS. THE NOISE WE HEARD WAS THE LNDG GEAR BEING LOWERED (WHICH HE MENTIONED WAS PROC). HE ANNOUNCED THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE DANGER AND WE WOULD BE RETURNING TO DFW IMMEDIATELY. ALL FLT ATTENDANTS RETRIEVED OUR MANUALS, SINCE WE WERE UNSURE OF PLANNED EMER EVAC. WE PREPARED THE CABIN AND WERE SEATED IN OUR JUMP SEATS. ON APCH, WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE COCKPIT THAT IT WOULD BE A HARD AND FAST LNDG. WE LANDED -- THE PAX CLAPPED. WE WERE MET WITH FIRE TRUCKS AND AMBULANCES. WE STAYED ON THE RWY APPROX 1 HR AND THEN WERE TOWED TO THE GATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANTS GOT OUT THEIR MANUALS TO GO OVER THE EMER LNDG CHKLIST, THE PAX GOT VERY NERVOUS. THE CAPT DID CALM THEM DOWN A LITTLE BIT WHEN HE ANNOUNCED THAT THE NORMAL PROC FOR LNDG WITH THIS HYD PROB WAS TO BE MET WITH FIRE TRUCKS AND AMBULANCES, SO THEY KNEW TO EXPECT THEM AND THERE WAS NO FURTHER PANIC. THE REASON THEY SAT ON THE RWY FOR OVER 1 HR WAS BECAUSE THEIR BRAKES WERE SO HOT AND THEY WANTED THEM TO COOL DOWN BEFORE TAXIING IT TO A GATE. THE PLANE WAS TAKEN OTS, AND THE PAX XFERRED TO ANOTHER PLANE.

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.