FLC OF ACR MLG ACFT DECLARED EMER AND RETURNED TO THE DEP ARPT BECAUSE OF HYD SYS FAILURE.

Narrative

ON CLBOUT FROM FL200 TO FL230; MASTER CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITH R HYD LOW PRESSURE MESSAGE. COPLT WAS FLYING. THE CHKLIST FOR HYD LOW PRESSURE AND SYS FAILURE WAS ACCOMPLISHED. WE CONTACTED COMPANY AND DETERMINED THAT RETURN TO BWI WAS MOST APPROPRIATE. DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZDC AND BEGAN A RETURN TO BALTIMORE. I DISCUSSED THE PROC WITH THE COPLT AND WE DECIDED AHEAD OF TIME THAT IF EVERYTHING WAS TO PROCEED NORMALLY; HE WOULD CONTINUE TO FLY THE ACFT AND I WOULD COORDINATE CHKLIST ACCOMPLISHMENT; COMS AND INSURE THAT EMER EQUIP WAS STANDING BY. DSCNT INTO APCH PHASE WENT NORMALLY; HOWEVER ON EXTENDED FINAL WHEN WE WENT TO EXTEND THE GEAR; THE GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND NORMALLY. AS PER OUR EARLIER DISCUSSIONS; I ASSUMED THE CTLS OF THE ACFT AND THE COPLT PROCEEDED TO EXTEND THE GEAR MANUALLY. FROM HERE ON IN THE APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. ON LNDG; THE GEAR DOORS DROPPED ON ROLLOUT AND CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE RWY. THE ACFT WAS BROUGHT TO A STOP ON THE RWY AND THE GEAR PINNED AND A TUG TOWED THE ACFT TO THE GATE. AS FAR AS HUMAN FACTORS ARE INVOLVED; EVERYTHING PROCEEDED SMOOTHLY. I ATTRIBUTE THE SMOOTHNESS TO THE FACT THAT OUR COCKPIT COMS WERE ACCOMPLISHED EARLY IN THE EVENT. WE HAD A PLAN FOR THE EXPECTED EVENTUALITIES; AND WHEN THEY DID IN FACT OCCUR THE CHANGE OF CTL OF THE ACFT WAS SMOOTH AND WE BOTH KNEW OUR TASKS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO COMMEND ZDC; WASHINGTON APCH; BALTIMORE APCH; BALTIMORE TWR; GND; AND EMER CREW FOR THEIR SMOOTH WORK AND ACCOMMODATION OF ANY REQUESTS WE HAD. ALL ASPECTS OF THE SYS WORKED SO WELL THAT THIS INCIDENT BECAME ALMOST A NON EVENT!