Narrative:

We sat for about 1 hour waiting for the WX at ZZZ to improve. Dispatch did not want us to take off because they had snow and ice pellets mixed. He was afraid we would get stuck there. Finally; it changed to snow so off we went. This was after sitting around for over 1 hour waiting for our aircraft to come in (it was late). I believe we were at our cruise altitude when we received a hydraulic blue pump overheat message. We followed the ECAM and turned the pump off which of course made our blue system pressure go to zero. We got the book out and read the flight manual checklist as well. Both of us looked at it and felt we had done everything. We then had dispatch call us and he wanted us to return to ZZZ1 because of the problem and the WX at ZZZ had gone back to snow and ice pellets. I had already figured that I wasn't going to ZZZ. I questioned him when he didn't seem to want to call maintenance in on this one and he got them to come on the line. Communication was difficult and I thought poor. We really didn't learn anything new. Maintenance did not talk with us but just the dispatcher. As it turned out; maintenance did not understand what really was wrong with the airplane. I talked with the flight attendants and just issued a weak cabin advisory (I was tempted to not even do that). The reason is that I knew if we had further problems we could always deploy the RAT and get the blue system back. Dispatch exited before I was really done talking with him so I ACARS'ed him to make sure he did not have emergency trucks called. Again at this point it did not seem necessary. I; of course; also told the people what was going on. Once we got everything done I went back to the book again to make sure we did not miss anything. As I looked at it again it says 'if blue overheat out' to put it back in the automatic position. The light had been out for some time so we both agreed that we could put it back on and recovered the blue system. We did and did not have another overheat. On the ground with all the pressure off; I looked at it again and found the book procedure confusing. It has 2 checklists on the same page. The part about turning the pump back on is under approach procedure hydraulic low pressure. We never got this ECAM message (of course we did turn it on before the approach phase and don't know if it would have come up then or not). I think this checklist needs to be made more clear. Otherwise the first officer did a great job as well as the flight attendants. Fatigue was an issue in that sitting around for that long and the fact that we were on day #4 of a long 4-DAY trip (the day before we deadheaded to ZZZ2 and flew back) meant we were tired in our decision making. Though I would say I don't think I would have done anything differently.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 CREW TURNED AN OVERHEATED BLUE HYD ELECTRIC PUMP ON PREMATURELY BEFORE LNDG BECAUSE OF CHKLIST AMBIGUITY AND CONFUSION.

Narrative: WE SAT FOR ABOUT 1 HR WAITING FOR THE WX AT ZZZ TO IMPROVE. DISPATCH DID NOT WANT US TO TAKE OFF BECAUSE THEY HAD SNOW AND ICE PELLETS MIXED. HE WAS AFRAID WE WOULD GET STUCK THERE. FINALLY; IT CHANGED TO SNOW SO OFF WE WENT. THIS WAS AFTER SITTING AROUND FOR OVER 1 HR WAITING FOR OUR ACFT TO COME IN (IT WAS LATE). I BELIEVE WE WERE AT OUR CRUISE ALT WHEN WE RECEIVED A HYD BLUE PUMP OVERHEAT MESSAGE. WE FOLLOWED THE ECAM AND TURNED THE PUMP OFF WHICH OF COURSE MADE OUR BLUE SYS PRESSURE GO TO ZERO. WE GOT THE BOOK OUT AND READ THE FLT MANUAL CHKLIST AS WELL. BOTH OF US LOOKED AT IT AND FELT WE HAD DONE EVERYTHING. WE THEN HAD DISPATCH CALL US AND HE WANTED US TO RETURN TO ZZZ1 BECAUSE OF THE PROB AND THE WX AT ZZZ HAD GONE BACK TO SNOW AND ICE PELLETS. I HAD ALREADY FIGURED THAT I WASN'T GOING TO ZZZ. I QUESTIONED HIM WHEN HE DIDN'T SEEM TO WANT TO CALL MAINT IN ON THIS ONE AND HE GOT THEM TO COME ON THE LINE. COM WAS DIFFICULT AND I THOUGHT POOR. WE REALLY DIDN'T LEARN ANYTHING NEW. MAINT DID NOT TALK WITH US BUT JUST THE DISPATCHER. AS IT TURNED OUT; MAINT DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT REALLY WAS WRONG WITH THE AIRPLANE. I TALKED WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND JUST ISSUED A WEAK CABIN ADVISORY (I WAS TEMPTED TO NOT EVEN DO THAT). THE REASON IS THAT I KNEW IF WE HAD FURTHER PROBS WE COULD ALWAYS DEPLOY THE RAT AND GET THE BLUE SYS BACK. DISPATCH EXITED BEFORE I WAS REALLY DONE TALKING WITH HIM SO I ACARS'ED HIM TO MAKE SURE HE DID NOT HAVE EMER TRUCKS CALLED. AGAIN AT THIS POINT IT DID NOT SEEM NECESSARY. I; OF COURSE; ALSO TOLD THE PEOPLE WHAT WAS GOING ON. ONCE WE GOT EVERYTHING DONE I WENT BACK TO THE BOOK AGAIN TO MAKE SURE WE DID NOT MISS ANYTHING. AS I LOOKED AT IT AGAIN IT SAYS 'IF BLUE OVERHEAT OUT' TO PUT IT BACK IN THE AUTO POS. THE LIGHT HAD BEEN OUT FOR SOME TIME SO WE BOTH AGREED THAT WE COULD PUT IT BACK ON AND RECOVERED THE BLUE SYS. WE DID AND DID NOT HAVE ANOTHER OVERHEAT. ON THE GND WITH ALL THE PRESSURE OFF; I LOOKED AT IT AGAIN AND FOUND THE BOOK PROC CONFUSING. IT HAS 2 CHKLISTS ON THE SAME PAGE. THE PART ABOUT TURNING THE PUMP BACK ON IS UNDER APCH PROC HYD LOW PRESSURE. WE NEVER GOT THIS ECAM MESSAGE (OF COURSE WE DID TURN IT ON BEFORE THE APCH PHASE AND DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD HAVE COME UP THEN OR NOT). I THINK THIS CHKLIST NEEDS TO BE MADE MORE CLR. OTHERWISE THE FO DID A GREAT JOB AS WELL AS THE FLT ATTENDANTS. FATIGUE WAS AN ISSUE IN THAT SITTING AROUND FOR THAT LONG AND THE FACT THAT WE WERE ON DAY #4 OF A LONG 4-DAY TRIP (THE DAY BEFORE WE DEADHEADED TO ZZZ2 AND FLEW BACK) MEANT WE WERE TIRED IN OUR DECISION MAKING. THOUGH I WOULD SAY I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.