LGT LOSES 'A' HYD SYS DURING INITIAL CLB FROM MCO. RETURN LAND.

Narrative

WHILE TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF WE WERE PERFORMING THE FLT CTL CHK WHEN THE CAPT NOTICED THAT THE LOWER RUDDER WOULD NOT ACHIEVE FULL DEFLECTION TO THE R. IN FACT; ONLY ABOUT 20 PERCENT DEFLECTION TO THE R WAS ACHIEVED WITH FULL R PEDAL DISPLACEMENT FROM EITHER SEAT. ALL HYD SYS WERE INDICATING NORMAL WITH GOOD PRESSURE; ALL PUMPS ON; AND ALL ENGS RUNNING. WE CONSULTED THE MEL WHICH REQUIRED A RETURN TO THE GATE AND A VISUAL INSPECTION BY QUALIFIED GND CREW. WE WERE MET AT THE GATE BY MAINT PERSONNEL WHO VISUALLY CONFIRMED FULL RUDDER DEFLECTION IN BOTH DIRECTIONS WITH NO HYD LEAKS. TOGETHER WE CONCLUDED THAT THE FLT CTL POS INDICATOR WAS MALFUNCTIONING; AND WE CONTACTED OUR FLT CTL DISPATCHER VIA RADIO. THE DISPATCHER CONCURRED AND REDISPATCHED OUR FLT ACCORDING TO MEL AND COMPANY PROCS. WE AGAIN TAXIED OUT FOR TKOF AND; UPON RECEIVING CLRNC; BEGAN OUR TKOF ROLL ON RWY 18L. ON TKOF LEG; AFTER RAISING THE GEAR HANDLE; AND AT APPROX 500 FT AGL WITH THE COPLT FLYING; WE NOTED THE HYD SYS 'A' LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS ILLUMINATE. THE FE CONFIRMED THAT SYS 'A' PRESSURE WAS DROPPING AS WELL AS THE QUANTITY. THEY QUICKLY BOTH WENT TO ZERO. WE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE L AND R MAIN LNDG GEARS REMAINED EXTENDED; BUT THE NOSE GEAR HAD RETRACTED. WE THEN REQUESTED VECTORS FOR AN EXTENDED R HAND PATTERN TO RETURN FOR LNDG. THE ABNORMAL CHKLIST FOR LOSS OF HYD SYS 'A' WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THE FLAPS WERE NEVER RETRACTED AND REMAINED AT 15 DEGS FOR LNDG AS CALLED FOR IN THE CHKLIST. NOSE GEAR WAS EXTENDED MANUALLY. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND ROLLOUT WERE ACCOMPLISHED. THE ACFT CLRED THE RWY USING BRAKES AND WAS BROUGHT TO A STOP. EMER VEHICLES RELAYED TO US THAT FLUID WAS DRIPPING OUT OF THE #7 LEADING EDGE SLAT AREA. THE ACFT WAS SHUTDOWN AND AFTER CLRED BY MAINT WAS TOWED BACK TO THE GATE WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. ALTHOUGH NO INCIDENT AROSE FROM THIS SIT; WE WERE CONCERNED INITIALLY THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME CONNECTION BTWN THE RUDDER INDICATION AND THE HYD FAILURE. THE LOWER RUDDER IS PWRED BY HYD SYS 'A;' WHICH IS THE SYS THAT SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED; BUT THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT THE LEADING EDGE SLAT AREA DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE FLAPS WERE NEVER MOVED. THE 2 FAILURES APPEARED TO BE UNRELATED AND WE BELIEVED IT TO BE COINCIDENCE. ALL MAINT; MEL; AND DISPATCH PROCS WERE COMPLETED AS SET OUT IN OUR PROCS.