Narrative:

All aspects of this flight were uneventful through cruise checks on our way from phl to cae. We leveled at FL240 and within 10 mins at level flight we received a cas message 'ep brake accu pressure low.' as PNF, I got the QRH out for this as first officer called for 'QRH ep brake accu pressure low.' we followed procedures and were unable to adequately resolve this problem and we were directed by the QRH to land at nearest suitable airport. From our training, we understood that we had to assume a hydraulic leak and possible impending hydraulic failure. We both agreed that bwi was not only suitable, but was our nearest airport. We both agreed at this point there was no need for any other assistance other than a diversion to bwi. I contacted dispatch and explained our situation. They advised us to go to phl. I stated that bwi was nearest suitable and that we were landing in bwi. At this point, our EICAS lit up with numerous cas messages reflecting multiple system failures. I lost connection with dispatch and said to first officer 'it appears we have multiple system failed, let's declare an emergency and get on the ground.' he agreed and we began to check the QRH for system failures according to cas and to communicate with our flight attendant. 10 min hydraulic problem. No brakes. There will be emergency equipment. No evacuate/evacuation unless I say so. She understood. We ran all approach checklists, but were unable to locate the circuit breaker that had popped and we had determined that it was not critical to our more serious problem of a possible hydraulic anomaly. The landing was uneventful on runway 28 and I took control of the aircraft just before exiting the runway. We paused on the taxiway to assess what cas messages were still illuminated or if any new cas had occurred. All hydraulics were functioning and we asked to be followed by 1 emergency vehicle in the event that our hydraulics failed during our taxi in. We parked at the gate and deplaned all passenger without incident. The FAA showed up within 20 mins and took down all pertinent information and we wrote the aircraft up for numerous failures. We deadheaded to cae and left the aircraft in bwi. In all, my first officer dealt with this dilemma in a competent and calm manner. He is to be commended for his actions as well as flight attendant for keeping our passenger informed and calm.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE POSSIBILITY OF A HYD FAILURE INDICATED BY A LOW PRESSURE WARNING FOR THE HYD SYS ACCUMULATOR ON A D328 CAUSES AN EMER DIVERSION TO BWI, MD.

Narrative: ALL ASPECTS OF THIS FLT WERE UNEVENTFUL THROUGH CRUISE CHKS ON OUR WAY FROM PHL TO CAE. WE LEVELED AT FL240 AND WITHIN 10 MINS AT LEVEL FLT WE RECEIVED A CAS MESSAGE 'EP BRAKE ACCU PRESSURE LOW.' AS PNF, I GOT THE QRH OUT FOR THIS AS FO CALLED FOR 'QRH EP BRAKE ACCU PRESSURE LOW.' WE FOLLOWED PROCS AND WERE UNABLE TO ADEQUATELY RESOLVE THIS PROB AND WE WERE DIRECTED BY THE QRH TO LAND AT NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. FROM OUR TRAINING, WE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE HAD TO ASSUME A HYD LEAK AND POSSIBLE IMPENDING HYD FAILURE. WE BOTH AGREED THAT BWI WAS NOT ONLY SUITABLE, BUT WAS OUR NEAREST ARPT. WE BOTH AGREED AT THIS POINT THERE WAS NO NEED FOR ANY OTHER ASSISTANCE OTHER THAN A DIVERSION TO BWI. I CONTACTED DISPATCH AND EXPLAINED OUR SIT. THEY ADVISED US TO GO TO PHL. I STATED THAT BWI WAS NEAREST SUITABLE AND THAT WE WERE LNDG IN BWI. AT THIS POINT, OUR EICAS LIT UP WITH NUMEROUS CAS MESSAGES REFLECTING MULTIPLE SYS FAILURES. I LOST CONNECTION WITH DISPATCH AND SAID TO FO 'IT APPEARS WE HAVE MULTIPLE SYS FAILED, LET'S DECLARE AN EMER AND GET ON THE GND.' HE AGREED AND WE BEGAN TO CHK THE QRH FOR SYS FAILURES ACCORDING TO CAS AND TO COMMUNICATE WITH OUR FLT ATTENDANT. 10 MIN HYD PROB. NO BRAKES. THERE WILL BE EMER EQUIP. NO EVAC UNLESS I SAY SO. SHE UNDERSTOOD. WE RAN ALL APCH CHKLISTS, BUT WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER THAT HAD POPPED AND WE HAD DETERMINED THAT IT WAS NOT CRITICAL TO OUR MORE SERIOUS PROB OF A POSSIBLE HYD ANOMALY. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL ON RWY 28 AND I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT JUST BEFORE EXITING THE RWY. WE PAUSED ON THE TXWY TO ASSESS WHAT CAS MESSAGES WERE STILL ILLUMINATED OR IF ANY NEW CAS HAD OCCURRED. ALL HYDS WERE FUNCTIONING AND WE ASKED TO BE FOLLOWED BY 1 EMER VEHICLE IN THE EVENT THAT OUR HYDS FAILED DURING OUR TAXI IN. WE PARKED AT THE GATE AND DEPLANED ALL PAX WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE FAA SHOWED UP WITHIN 20 MINS AND TOOK DOWN ALL PERTINENT INFO AND WE WROTE THE ACFT UP FOR NUMEROUS FAILURES. WE DEADHEADED TO CAE AND LEFT THE ACFT IN BWI. IN ALL, MY FO DEALT WITH THIS DILEMMA IN A COMPETENT AND CALM MANNER. HE IS TO BE COMMENDED FOR HIS ACTIONS AS WELL AS FLT ATTENDANT FOR KEEPING OUR PAX INFORMED AND CALM.

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.