Narrative:

As a reserve pilot; I was called out at XA00 for an XC00 DH (deadhead) from ZZZ1 to ZZZ. My first officer and I were to fly ZZZ to ZZZ2. At XB55 I called the crew desk to tell them my first officer was not on board. The flight left on time without my first officer and arrived on time; in ZZZ. I then received a voice mail informing me my first officer would be on the XD30 flight. I arrived at gate at about XD45 for a posted XE45 departure. After getting my paperwork; I proceeded to the airplane. The agent let me down the jetway and I noticed the jetway was pulled away from the aircraft. I thought this was a standard security procedure and made the short hop on to the aircraft and called operations to move the jetway closer. As I start to setup my things I thought I would help out my delayed first officer by taking care of the walkaround. After establishing the bleed air for air-conditioning; I turned on the hydraulics to proceed outside. I gathered my flashlight and ear plugs and verified the parking brake. Just then I noticed the right hydraulic fluid was showing zero quantity. I turned off the pumps and called maintenance. I asked them if they were aware of the hydraulic problem and they informed me not to touch anything; that they were working on the hydraulics. This call came too late unfortunately. It turns out the nose gear actuator was partially disassembled and I had pumped all the right side hydraulic fluid out on the ramp by turning on the pump. Fortunately; no one was hurt. I should have queried maintenance when I did not see the logbook on board. I was spring loaded to help the airplane leave closer to on time. Had I not attempted the first officer's job; this probably would not have happened. Also; if I had verified the status of the airworthiness of the airplane; this would not have happened. It should be noted that there were no switch guards on the hydraulic pumps switches. That too could have prevented the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CAPT MAKING A WALKAROUND INSPECTION ACTIVATED THE R HYD SYS. MAINT HAD NOT COMPLETED NOSE GEAR STEERING WORK. R HYD SYS LOST PRESSURE AND QUANTITY. NO WARNINGS ON SWITCHES.

Narrative: AS A RESERVE PLT; I WAS CALLED OUT AT XA00 FOR AN XC00 DH (DEADHEAD) FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ. MY FO AND I WERE TO FLY ZZZ TO ZZZ2. AT XB55 I CALLED THE CREW DESK TO TELL THEM MY FO WAS NOT ON BOARD. THE FLT LEFT ON TIME WITHOUT MY FO AND ARRIVED ON TIME; IN ZZZ. I THEN RECEIVED A VOICE MAIL INFORMING ME MY FO WOULD BE ON THE XD30 FLT. I ARRIVED AT GATE AT ABOUT XD45 FOR A POSTED XE45 DEP. AFTER GETTING MY PAPERWORK; I PROCEEDED TO THE AIRPLANE. THE AGENT LET ME DOWN THE JETWAY AND I NOTICED THE JETWAY WAS PULLED AWAY FROM THE ACFT. I THOUGHT THIS WAS A STANDARD SECURITY PROC AND MADE THE SHORT HOP ON TO THE ACFT AND CALLED OPS TO MOVE THE JETWAY CLOSER. AS I START TO SETUP MY THINGS I THOUGHT I WOULD HELP OUT MY DELAYED FO BY TAKING CARE OF THE WALKAROUND. AFTER ESTABLISHING THE BLEED AIR FOR AIR-CONDITIONING; I TURNED ON THE HYDS TO PROCEED OUTSIDE. I GATHERED MY FLASHLIGHT AND EAR PLUGS AND VERIFIED THE PARKING BRAKE. JUST THEN I NOTICED THE R HYD FLUID WAS SHOWING ZERO QUANTITY. I TURNED OFF THE PUMPS AND CALLED MAINT. I ASKED THEM IF THEY WERE AWARE OF THE HYD PROB AND THEY INFORMED ME NOT TO TOUCH ANYTHING; THAT THEY WERE WORKING ON THE HYDS. THIS CALL CAME TOO LATE UNFORTUNATELY. IT TURNS OUT THE NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR WAS PARTIALLY DISASSEMBLED AND I HAD PUMPED ALL THE R SIDE HYD FLUID OUT ON THE RAMP BY TURNING ON THE PUMP. FORTUNATELY; NO ONE WAS HURT. I SHOULD HAVE QUERIED MAINT WHEN I DID NOT SEE THE LOGBOOK ON BOARD. I WAS SPRING LOADED TO HELP THE AIRPLANE LEAVE CLOSER TO ON TIME. HAD I NOT ATTEMPTED THE FO'S JOB; THIS PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. ALSO; IF I HAD VERIFIED THE STATUS OF THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE AIRPLANE; THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THERE WERE NO SWITCH GUARDS ON THE HYD PUMPS SWITCHES. THAT TOO COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.