FLC OF A BRITISH JETSTREAM BA31 (BAE3201) NOTICED A DROP IN HYD PRESSURE OF BOTH THE MAIN AND EMER SYS DURING DEP CLB. EMER WAS DECLARED AND A RETURN LAND WAS MADE WITH EMER GND EQUIP STANDING BY ON LNDG.

Date: 1998-08 · Aircraft: Jetstream 31 · Phase: climb

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|other-unspecified

Synopsis

FLC OF A BRITISH JETSTREAM BA31 (BAE3201) NOTICED A DROP IN HYD PRESSURE OF BOTH THE MAIN AND EMER SYS DURING DEP CLB. EMER WAS DECLARED AND A RETURN LAND WAS MADE WITH EMER GND EQUIP STANDING BY ON LNDG.

Narrative

AFTER GEAR AND FLAP RETRACTION; BOTH HYD PUMPS INDICATED 0 PSI (2000 PSI IS NORMAL). THE MAIN SYS PRESSURE INDICATED 1500 PSI AND THE EMER INDICATED 1200 PSI. THE QRH FOR LOSS OF HYD PRESSURE WAS COMPLIED WITH; AND MAINT AND DISPATCH WERE CONSULTED. SUBSEQUENTLY; AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH DULLES APCH AND THE ACFT WAS LANDED ON RWY 19R AT IAD. AFTER LNDG; THE ACFT WAS SHUT DOWN ON THE RWY AND THE PAX WERE DEPLANED VIA THE MAIN CABIN DOOR. THERE WERE NO KNOWN INJURIES FROM EITHER THE INCIDENT OR THE DEPLANEMENT. THE GEAR WAS PINNED PRIOR TO BEING MOVED BUT I DON'T RECALL AS TO WHETHER PAX DEPLANED PRIOR TO OR DURING THE ACFT PINNING. THIS MODEL ACFT; IN MY OPINION; HAS ITS AIR SHARE OF HYD PROBS. IN THE PAST WK THIS IS 1 OF 3 HYD PROBS I HAD. THE OTHER 2 PROBS WERE PRESSURE FLUCTUATIONS BTWN 1500-2000 PSI AND THE EMER PRESSURE BLEEDING DOWN TO 200 PSI WITHIN 2 MINS OF SHUTDOWN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HEARD THAT THE CAUSE OF THE DROP IN PRESSURE WAS DUE TO A BROKEN HYD LINE AND THE LOCATION IN THE SYS WAS GIVEN TO HIM. HE HEARD FROM COMPANY CHIEF PLT THAT THERE HAD BEEN AT LEAST 10 OTHER INCIDENTS OF HYD SYS FAILURES OF THIS ACFT TYPE (BA31) IN HIS COMPANY. HE ALSO HEARD THAT HIS COMPANY WAS SOON REPLACING THESE ACFT WITH ANOTHER TYPE AND THAT OTHER COMPANIES OPERATING THIS TYPE HAD ALREADY PHASED OUT THEIR ACFT OF THE SAME TYPE. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE PERSONALLY HAS OPERATED THIS ACFT TYPE FOR 2 1/2 YRS AND HAD EXPERIENCED SEVERAL OTHER HYD FAILURES DURING THAT TIME.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.