What happened
While performing an en route cruise, the aircraft experienced a failure of a hydraulic line within the number two system. This failure led to a loss of hydraulic fluid and a subsequent loss of pressure throughout the number two system.
As a result of the pressure loss, the rudder became dependent solely on the remaining activation system, which was the number one hydraulic system. During the approach and landing phase, the crew lowered the landing gear manually. The aircraft landed without further incident; however, because the failure of the number two system rendered the nose wheel steering inoperative, the aircraft could not taxi under its own power and had to be towed from the runway.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the failure of the hydraulic line. While the loss of fluid and pressure were confirmed, the specific reason for the failure of the hydraulic line could not be positively determined.