Narrative:

Climbing through the mid 20's; we got a chime and a 'hydraulic 2 low press' message. I took the radios and controls; captain went through the QRH for the appropriate procedure. Due to the indication of 5% hydraulic fluid and positive pressure in the accumulator; we did not immediately shut down the edp or declare an emergency. However; a few seconds later the rest of the pressure bled out of the system and we informed ATC that we needed to divert to the nearest suitable. We declared an emergency and handled everything according to procedure and training. We decided that although I was PF; he had much more time in the aircraft and if there was a possibility of directional control issues we would have fewer questions to answer if he took the landing. We landed and taxied in without incident. Obviously the failure of a system takes you out of your routine; and there is a tendency for both pilots to focus on one problem. However we divided the duties effectively and did our respective jobs; making sure that all checklists were completed and we had accomplished all procedures according to the QRH. I can't say for sure that no errors were made; but it seemed that everything was done safely and properly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ200 First Officer reports loss of number 2 hydraulic system during climb and diversion to the nearest suitable airport.

Narrative: Climbing through the mid 20's; we got a chime and a 'HYD 2 LOW PRESS' message. I took the radios and controls; captain went through the QRH for the appropriate procedure. Due to the indication of 5% hydraulic fluid and positive pressure in the accumulator; we did not immediately shut down the EDP or declare an emergency. However; a few seconds later the rest of the pressure bled out of the system and we informed ATC that we needed to divert to the nearest suitable. We declared an emergency and handled everything according to procedure and training. We decided that although I was PF; he had much more time in the aircraft and if there was a possibility of directional control issues we would have fewer questions to answer if he took the landing. We landed and taxied in without incident. Obviously the failure of a system takes you out of your routine; and there is a tendency for both pilots to focus on one problem. However we divided the duties effectively and did our respective jobs; making sure that all checklists were completed and we had accomplished all procedures according to the QRH. I can't say for sure that no errors were made; but it seemed that everything was done safely and properly.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.