A320 captain describes the discovery of apparent hydraulic fluid on aircraft belly from gear area to...

Attributes
ACN	971245
Time
Date	201109
Local Time Of Day	0601-1200
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Captain Pilot Not Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200 Flight Crew Total 25000 Flight Crew Type 3000
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical Deviation - Procedural Other / Unknown

Narrative:

First officer noted on exterior inspection abnormal accumulation of apparent hydraulic fluid on aircraft belly from gear area to tail. Maintenance writeup generated maintenance response. Gear doors were lowered during maintenance inspection where more fluid that had accumulated was evident. Following actuation of hydraulic systems and flaps; no source of leak was noted and plane returned to service with 'no active leak'. Throughout the delay I updated passenger on the hydraulic leak issue. When plane was signed off I could not accept aircraft without determining the source. I advised dispatch that we would be 'unable to operate' the flight with the present aircraft without the leak source identified. We were assigned another plane.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 Captain describes the discovery of apparent hydraulic fluid on aircraft belly from gear area to tail during preflight. When the aircraft is signed off by maintenance as 'no active leak discovered'; the aircraft is refused.

Narrative: First Officer noted on exterior inspection abnormal accumulation of apparent hydraulic fluid on aircraft belly from gear area to tail. Maintenance writeup generated Maintenance response. Gear doors were lowered during Maintenance inspection where more fluid that had accumulated was evident. Following actuation of hydraulic systems and flaps; no source of leak was noted and plane returned to service with 'no active leak'. Throughout the delay I updated PAX on the hydraulic leak issue. When plane was signed off I could not accept aircraft without determining the source. I advised Dispatch that we would be 'unable to operate' the flight with the present aircraft without the leak source identified. We were assigned another plane.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

A320 captain describes the discovery of apparent hydraulic fluid on aircraft belly from gear area to tail during preflight. When the aircraft is signed off by maintenance as 'no active leak discovered'; the aircraft is refused.