A B712 CREW; IN DSCNT TO HNL; EXPERIENCED A HYD FLUID LOSS WHICH PROMPTED THE CREW TO LOWER THE LNDG GEAR EARLY.

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DURING DSCNT INTO HONOLULU FROM HILO; HI; ON THE MORNING OF SEP/WED/02 AT ABOUT XA10; WE EXPERIENCED A LEVEL 2 (HYD R QUANTITY LOW) ALERT. AFTER SELECTING THE HYD PAGE ON OUR SYS DISPLAY; WE SAW THAT THE HYD QUANTITY WAS DROPPING IN THE R HYD SYS. IT APPEARED THAT THE QUANTITY WAS BEING LOST RAPIDLY; AT THAT TIME WE ELECTED TO LOWER THE LNDG GEAR BEFORE WE LOST ALL OF THE FLUID FROM THE R SYS AS THAT IS THE ONLY SYS THAT PWRS THE LNDG GEAR. AFTER THE GEAR WAS LOWERED; WE PULLED OUT THE CHKLIST AND FOLLOWED THE PROC UNTIL IT STATED THAT WE NEEDED TO USE THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION LEVER. THIS PROC DID NOT SEEM NECESSARY TO US BECAUSE THE LNDG GEAR ALREADY INDICATED DOWN AND LOCKED. DEPLOYING THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION LEVER ONLY ALLOWS FOR THE LNDG GEAR TO FREE-FALL DOWN. IT WOULD HAVE ALSO OPENED AND LEFT OPEN THE MAIN GEAR DOORS. LATER IN THE CHKLIST; THE PROC CALLS FOR STOWING THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION LEVER IF ANY QUANTIFY REMAINS. THE CHKLIST PROC DOES NOT SEEM TO ALLOW FOR THE LNDG GEAR TO BE DOWN ALREADY AS IT WAS IN OUR CASE. IN THE INTRO TO OUR CHKLIST SECTION; IT STATES THAT 'STRICT COMPLIANCE WITH THESE PROCS IS MANDATORY.... HOWEVER; SINCE NO PROC COULD ALLOW FOR EVERY SIT OR CONTINGENCY; NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN IS INTENDED TO TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER GOOD PLT JUDGEMENT.' I BELIEVE THAT WE USED THIS 'GOOD PLT JUDGEMENT' TO NOT STRICTLY FOLLOW THE CHKLIST ITEM BY ITEM. IF WE HAD; THE LNDG GEAR DOORS WOULD HAVE REMAINED OPEN ON OUR LNDG AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DAMAGED. I BELIEVE THAT THE CHKLIST SHOULD BE CHANGED TO ALLOW FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF THE LNDG GEAR BEING DOWN SO THAT IF THIS PROB SHOULD OCCUR IN THE FUTURE THERE WILL NOT BE ANY UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHETHER OR NOT TO DISREGARD PART OF THE CHKLIST. I INTEND TO DISCUSS WITH OUR FLT DEPT TO SEE IF THEY ALSO FEEL THAT THE CHKLIST SHOULD BE CHANGED.