ACR LTT ACFT EQUIP MALFUNCTION.

Narrative

DURING LEVEL CRUISE FLT APPROX 20 MIN N OF DEST (IAD) THE HYD LIGHT ON THE MULTIPLE ALARM PANEL ILLUMINATED. THE FO WAS FLYING ON THE AUTOPLT AND I TOLD HIM TO FLY THE ACFT WHILE I HANDLED THE PROBLEM. THE OVERHEAD HYD PANEL REVEALED THAT THE L HYD MAIN PUMP LOW PRESSURE LIGHT WAS ON. I CHKED THE L HYD QUANTITY INDICATOR WHICH SHOWED 1/2 FULL INITIALLY. AS I WAS LOOKING AT THE INDICATOR; IT FLICKERED TWICE AND THEN WENT TO ZERO. WE HAD JUST BEEN HANDED OVER TO DULLES APCH CTL AND I INFORMED THEM THAT WE WERE HAVING A HYD PROBLEM AND REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING WITH THE EMER EQUIPMENT STANDING BY. WE PERFORMED ALL ABNORMAL; EMER AND NORMAL CHKLISTS AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. PRIOR TO LNDG; I GAVE A COMPLETE BRIEFING TO THE FLT ATTENDANT; PAX; COMPANY DISPATCH; AND THE FO FOR THE PROCS TO FOLLOW. AFTER LNDG; AND THE ACFT WAS BROUGHT TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE RWY CTRLINE; I DETERMINED THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY TAXI THE ACFT CLR OF THE RWY BUT WOULD THEN PARK IT HAD HAVE MAINT TOW IT TO THE GATE. I INFORMED ATC AND COMPANY THAT; ONCE CLR OF THE RWY AND PARKED; THAT A TOW TO THE GATE WAS REQUIRED. I ALSO BRIEFED THE CREW AND PAX AS WELL. I BELIEVE THAT ALL PARTIES PERFORMED AN EXCELLENT JOB. I HAD A PROFICIENCY CHECK APPROX 3 WKS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. SOME OF THE ITEMS COVERED DURING MY ORAL AND FLT CHK PROVED TO BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL. THE TRAINING CAPT HAD ME DO A FLAPS 0 DEG LNDG. TAXI WITHOUT USE OF THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING; TAXI WITHOUT BRAKES; AND STOP THE ACFT WITH THE EMER BRAKE ONLY. ALL OF THESE TRAINING ITEMS WERE USED DURING THIS ACTUAL INCIDENT AND I BELIEVE WERE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE UNEVENTFUL OUTCOME. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT REGIONAL AIRLINE PLTS HAVE SOME OF THE MOST DIFFICULT CONDITIONS TO WORK WITH DUE TO ECONOMICS. THE TRAINING DEPT AND INSTRUCTORS AT MY REGIONAL AIRLINE HAVE CERTAINLY DISPROVED THE CRITICS CONCERNING REGIONAL OR PART 135 AIRLINE TRAINING.