EICAS WARNING LOSS L HYD PRESSURE WITH HYD PUMP PRESSURE LIGHT ON. NO LOSS FLUID; SYS PSI NORMAL.

Narrative

AT TOC EICAS MESSAGE -- L ENG HYD PRESSURE WITH HYD PUMP PRESSURE LIGHT ON -- TURNED OFF PUMP SW AS PER QRH. SYS PSI NORMAL AND SYS FLUID QUANTITY FULL. I CONFERRED WITH MY DISPATCHER AND MAINT TECHNICIAN AND CHANGED MY DEST FROM SNA TO LAX. SINCE THE WX WAS VFR ALL THE WAY AND NUMEROUS ARPTS TO DIVERT IF NECESSARY; WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE FLT SINCE WE HAD SYS PRESSURE AND FLUID. ABOUT AN HR INTO THE FLT ALL HYD FLUID FOR THE L WAS LOST; HOWEVER; WE STILL HAD SYS PRESSURE AND WE CONTINUED TO LAX. WE HAD TO USE ALTERNATE FLAP OPS AND WE LANDED LAX WITHOUT INCIDENT. I HAD TO USE DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING TO CLR THE RWY SINCE NOSEWHEEL STEERING WAS INOP. THE EMER PROCS IN THE QRH STATES THAT CAREFUL CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN; AFTER A LOSS OF A SINGLE HYD SYS; FOR THE CONTINUATION OF A FLT. SYS TO ME MEANS EVERYTHING; PUMP; PSI AND FLUID. MY RATIONAL IS AND WAS AS LONG AS EVERYTHING WAS FUNCTIONAL AND THE ONLY PROB WE WOULD HAVE WOULD BE IN THE LNDG PHASE; IE; FLAPS/GEAR/STEERING. WE SHOULD CONTINUE. LNDG AT ABQ ON LAX POSES THE SAME PROBS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF LOSING AN ENG IS JUST AS PROBABLE AT ABQ OR LAX. THE FAA SEEMS TO BE CONCERNED THAT I DID NOT RETURN TO DFW! IF THAT IS THE CONSENSUS OF OPINION THEN THE QRH AND EMER PROCS SHOULD BE CHANGED AND LEAVE THE CAPT NO OPTIONS OTHER THAN LNDG AT A SUITABLE ARPT.