AN MD80 AT START OF CRUISE FL280 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO R MAIN HYD SYS LOSS OF PRESSURE AND QUANTITY CAUSED BY A FAILED HYD FLUID LIMITER.

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CONDUCTED AN IOE WITH NEW HIRE FO. THE PRESSURE CONTROLLER STARTED OSCILLATING BACK AND FORTH. HAD SEEN IN ACFT LOG; ACFT HAD A HISTORY OF PRESSURIZATION PROBS. I FINALLY SWITCHED TO STANDBY CONTROLLER; WHICH SOLVED PROB. I TOOK TIME TO EXPLAIN TO FO WHAT I HAD DONE AND THAT WE SHOULD CAREFULLY WATCH THE PRESSURIZATION. WE CLBED ON UP AND JUST AS WE WERE GETTING TO THE TOP OF CLB; WE GOT A 'R HYD PRESSURE LOW' LIGHT AND NOTED LOW PRESSURE AND FALLING QUANTITY. WE DID THE QRH PROCS AND STARTED TOWARDS PHL. THE R SYS SUPPLIES PWR TO RUDDER AND WE WERE RUN IN MANUAL. PHL HAD STRONG XWINDS AND WERE HOLDING DUE TO SLOW TFC WITH WIND. WE DIVERTED TO BWI; DECLARED EMER; AND HAD NORMAL APCH AND LNDG (HAVING TO FREE FALL GEAR). DURING CLB OUT ON NEXT FLT; I REALIZED I NEVER PUT BOTH CTR FUEL PUMPS ON (ON AFTER TKOF CHK). THIS IS AGAINST PROC TO BURN OUT OF CTR FIRST; THEN MAINS. THE FO SAID HE HAD BEEN ABOUT TO ASK ME; WHEN HE NOTICED THE HYD PRESSURE LIGHT. HE CONFIRMED WE NEVER GOT PUMPS ON. WE WERE OK; BECAUSE ONCE MAINS WOULD HAVE DEPLETED; THE ONE CTR PUMP ON FOR TKOF WOULD HAVE FED THAT FUEL. BUT I HATE TO HAVE HAD TO RELY ON THAT. WE COMMUNICATED WITH ATC; COMPANY (AND DISPATCH THROUGH ACARS); FLT ATTENDANTS; AND PAX. I WAS HONEST ABOUT THE SIT (NOT GOING INTO DETAIL WITH PAX) AND TOLD THEM THEY WOULD SEE RESCUE EQUIP ON LNDG. WE LANDED AND STOPPED ON RWY. THE MECHS PINNED THE GEAR DOORS (UNSTOWED BECAUSE OF NO PRESSURE) AND ACFT WAS TOWED TO THE GATE. I TAUGHT THE ORIGINAL CRM COURSE HERE AT ACR ABOUT 9 YRS AGO. I FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE EMER; BUT VERY BAD I GOT DISTR FROM THE FUEL ON THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST. A LOT OF FACTORS WERE AT WORK HERE. THIS WAS DAY 12 OF 11 DAYS WORKING (1 DAY OFF FOR LEGALITY). THE WINDS WERE EXTREMELY STRONG DUE TO A STRONG COLD FRONT. I WAS WORKING WITH A NEW COPLT AND WAS WATCHING HIM CLOSELY. I WILL TRY TO BE MORE VIGILANT AND ENCOURAGE HIM TO SPEAK OUT IMMEDIATELY WHEN A RED FLAG OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS COMES OUT. I DO FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE MGMNT IN GENERAL WITH THE EMER. WE WERE VERY CAREFUL AND I ASKED APCH FOR MORE TIME TO GET THINGS DONE. WE LEARNED A LOT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS AN MD80 AND THE LOSS OF THE R MAIN HYD SYS WAS CAUSED BY A HYD FLUID QUANTITY LIMITER FAILING ON THE PRESSURE SIDE. THE RPTR SAID EITHER A SEAL OR THE FITTING ON THE PRESSURE SIDE OF THE UNIT FAILED.