MLG ON APCH TO LAND HAS 'A' SYS HYD FAILURE. PERFORMS LOW APCH TO ASSESS SITUATION AND RUN CHKLISTS.

Narrative

DURING FINAL APCH TO RWY 23 AT CHARLOTTE; NC; ON JUL/SUN/92 AT XA45 EST; WE ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE FLAPS AND LNDG GEAR AND DISCOVERED AN APPARENT TOTAL 'A' SYS HYD FLUID LOSS AND SUBSEQUENT PRESSURE FAILURE. SUBSEQUENT TO THIS WE NOTICED A FLUCTUATION OF 'A' SYS PRESSURE WHICH ALLOWED SLOWER THAN NORMAL FLAP EXTENSION AND GEAR EXTENSION. THE CAPT REQUESTED A FLY-THROUGH ON FINAL APCH TO RESOLVE THE IMMEDIATE SYS MALFUNCTION AND CONFIGURE THE ACFT FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON A LONGER RWY. TWR CLRED US TO FLY A VISUAL LOW APCH AND HANDED US TO DEP CTL FOR VECTORING TO THE LONGER RWY AT CHARLOTTE. FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF FLT MANUAL ABNORMAL PROCS AN UNEVENTFUL RECOVERY WAS MADE TO RWY 18R. IN KEEPING WITH THE AMNESTY OPPORTUNITY PROVIDED THROUGH VOLUNTARY SELF- DISCLOSURE OF THIS INCIDENT WHICH MAY HAVE RESULTED IN AN UNINTENTIONAL AIRSPACE VIOLATION WITHIN THE ATA WE WERE OPERATING IN; I AM SUBMITTING THIS RPT WITHIN 10 DAYS OF THE INCIDENT. ATC INDICATED THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC IN THE CHARLOTTE AREA AS A RESULT OF OUR DISCONTINUED LNDG ON RWY 23.