Narrative:

We experienced a complete failure of the yellow hydraulic system. The first officer was actually on the PA at the time the ECAM chimed. The aircraft was on the autoplt descending to 11000 ft. (The first officer was not making a long announcement; just stating the seat belt sign was on; return to seats.) the captain noted the ECAM and complied with the first 2 steps. He then got the first officer's attention and asked the first officer to handle the ECAM while the captain flew the jet and talked with ATC. The flight was cleared to descend via the FMS. Visual for runway xx. As this was happening; the captain did not roll the speed back in time and the aircraft was at 9200 ft and decelerating when the captain kicked the autoplt off and forced the aircraft to respond more quickly than the autoplt normally does. The captain continued to fly the approach; the first officer was actually under tasked saturated and was able to take back ATC communications and normal PNF duties. During the course of events; 2 messages were sent to dispatch with very bare boned notification of the event; the flight attendants were told 'no prep; no advisory but we'll let you know if anything changes.' in all; this would have been a textbook ECAM aside from the fact that I let the aircraft descend to 9200 ft before forcing it to slow down in a more timely manner. The PNF had time to review the entire ECAM and irregular in the book; complete normal PNF duties and coordinate with ATC and dispatch. In debriefing with the flight attendants after landing; they were happy with the notification and debrief. Oh by the way; it appears that ATC declared an emergency for us as they asked for souls on board and time remaining in mins. Arff met the aircraft on landing and followed us to the gate. Airfield safety and one of the firefighters was at the aircraft to debrief and gather information. WX was cavu. Also; this is my 5TH or 6TH hydraulic failure on this aircraft (in about 10 yrs) and I did not feel rushed or worried. We had a 12000 ft runway in front of us and great WX. Supplemental information from acn 790676: descending through 13000 ft as I was making the final seat belt call to passenger we got a hydraulic low pressure ECAM. Completed steps in ECAM; yellow hydraulic quantity appeared to be almost 0. Got out the book to review irregular procedure. At about 9200 ft PF noticed airspeed at 280 KTS and decreasing. Continued on FMS visual to runway xx. Approach and landing were uneventful. After blocking in noticed puddle of fluid under #2 engine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW REPORTS YELLOW HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FAILURE DURING ARRIVAL WITH UNEVENTFUL LANDING.

Narrative: WE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE YELLOW HYD SYS. THE FO WAS ACTUALLY ON THE PA AT THE TIME THE ECAM CHIMED. THE ACFT WAS ON THE AUTOPLT DSNDING TO 11000 FT. (THE FO WAS NOT MAKING A LONG ANNOUNCEMENT; JUST STATING THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS ON; RETURN TO SEATS.) THE CAPT NOTED THE ECAM AND COMPLIED WITH THE FIRST 2 STEPS. HE THEN GOT THE FO'S ATTN AND ASKED THE FO TO HANDLE THE ECAM WHILE THE CAPT FLEW THE JET AND TALKED WITH ATC. THE FLT WAS CLRED TO DSND VIA THE FMS. VISUAL FOR RWY XX. AS THIS WAS HAPPENING; THE CAPT DID NOT ROLL THE SPD BACK IN TIME AND THE ACFT WAS AT 9200 FT AND DECELERATING WHEN THE CAPT KICKED THE AUTOPLT OFF AND FORCED THE ACFT TO RESPOND MORE QUICKLY THAN THE AUTOPLT NORMALLY DOES. THE CAPT CONTINUED TO FLY THE APCH; THE FO WAS ACTUALLY UNDER TASKED SATURATED AND WAS ABLE TO TAKE BACK ATC COMS AND NORMAL PNF DUTIES. DURING THE COURSE OF EVENTS; 2 MESSAGES WERE SENT TO DISPATCH WITH VERY BARE BONED NOTIFICATION OF THE EVENT; THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE TOLD 'NO PREP; NO ADVISORY BUT WE'LL LET YOU KNOW IF ANYTHING CHANGES.' IN ALL; THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A TEXTBOOK ECAM ASIDE FROM THE FACT THAT I LET THE ACFT DSND TO 9200 FT BEFORE FORCING IT TO SLOW DOWN IN A MORE TIMELY MANNER. THE PNF HAD TIME TO REVIEW THE ENTIRE ECAM AND IRREGULAR IN THE BOOK; COMPLETE NORMAL PNF DUTIES AND COORDINATE WITH ATC AND DISPATCH. IN DEBRIEFING WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS AFTER LNDG; THEY WERE HAPPY WITH THE NOTIFICATION AND DEBRIEF. OH BY THE WAY; IT APPEARS THAT ATC DECLARED AN EMER FOR US AS THEY ASKED FOR SOULS ON BOARD AND TIME REMAINING IN MINS. ARFF MET THE ACFT ON LNDG AND FOLLOWED US TO THE GATE. AIRFIELD SAFETY AND ONE OF THE FIREFIGHTERS WAS AT THE ACFT TO DEBRIEF AND GATHER INFO. WX WAS CAVU. ALSO; THIS IS MY 5TH OR 6TH HYD FAILURE ON THIS ACFT (IN ABOUT 10 YRS) AND I DID NOT FEEL RUSHED OR WORRIED. WE HAD A 12000 FT RWY IN FRONT OF US AND GREAT WX. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 790676: DSNDING THROUGH 13000 FT AS I WAS MAKING THE FINAL SEAT BELT CALL TO PAX WE GOT A HYD LOW PRESSURE ECAM. COMPLETED STEPS IN ECAM; YELLOW HYD QUANTITY APPEARED TO BE ALMOST 0. GOT OUT THE BOOK TO REVIEW IRREGULAR PROC. AT ABOUT 9200 FT PF NOTICED AIRSPD AT 280 KTS AND DECREASING. CONTINUED ON FMS VISUAL TO RWY XX. APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. AFTER BLOCKING IN NOTICED PUDDLE OF FLUID UNDER #2 ENG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.