LA25 PLT MAKES GEAR UP LNDG ON GRASS; AFTER HYD FAILURE; WITH NO DAMAGE TO ACFT.

Narrative

ON DOWNWIND FOR LNDG AT JEKYLL ISLAND (O9J) I NOTICED THAT WE HAD NO HYD PRESSURE AND THAT THE GEAR WAS NOT LOCKED IN EITHER UP OR DOWN POS. WE ELECTED TO FLY TO OUR HOME BASE WHERE WE HAD THE NECESSARY MECHANICAL EXPERTISE AVAILABLE ZZZ. I APPRAISED JACKSONVILLE APCH OF THE SIT. SIT #1: A DIRECT HDG FROM O9J TO ZZZ TAKES US THROUGH MIL RESTR AIRSPACE. I APPRAISED JACKSONVILLE AND THEY CLRED ME THROUGH THIS RESTR AIRSPACE. SIT #2: WHEN WE ARRIVED IN ZZZ THE 'A/P' WE WERE SPEAKING TO ON THE RADIO RECOMMENDED A WHEELS UP LNDG ON THE GRASS STRIP ADJOINING THE RWY. THE GEAR UP LNDG WAS SUCCESSFUL AND THE ACFT SUSTAINED NO DAMAGE. I THEN PHONED TAMPA APCH TO TELL THEM THAT WE HAD SUCCESSFULLY LANDED THE ACFT. THIS EVENT TOOK PLACE AT XA00 LCL TIME WHEN THE TWR WAS CLOSED. THE ACFT WAS PUT BACK ON ITS GEAR AND TAXIED TO THE SHOP WHEN IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A HYD LINE HAD CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED. IT WAS FURTHER DETERMINED THAT NO DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED BY THE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FIRST INDICATION OF TROUBLE WAS A LACK OF HYD PRESSURE DURING PREPARATIONS FOR LNDG. WITH THE LNDG GEAR NOT LOCKED UP A WATER LNDG WAS CONSIDERED VERY RISKY AND THIS IS THE REASON THE ACFT WAS LANDED ON GRASS.