B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 149; Flight Crew Total 18400; Flight Crew Type 3782
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
After completing a normal landing; we were taxied north to hold short of [the parallel] runway. While waiting to cross; I pulled up the EICAS status page to check the brake temperatures as I always do after landing. I noticed that the left hydraulic system quantity was at 0.64 with an RF showing (refill). I pointed this out to the co-pilot; indicating it would need to be serviced. We crossed [the parallel runway] and proceeded northeast when we got a left hydraulic system quantity EICAS and the reservoir light on the overhead panel for the left system. We told ground control we needed to stop the airplane; which they approved; and we then checked the status page which showed left hydraulic quantity at 0.24. The co-pilot got out the QRH checklist for this situation and I called Maintenance on the #2 VHF. Both the checklist and Maintenance directed us to shut off both left system hydraulic pumps; which we did and then we told ground we were going to need a tow to the gate since the left hydraulic system on a 757 powers the nose gear steering. A truck drove up and began looking over the aircraft and parked next to the cockpit on my (the left) side. The driver held up his hands about a foot apart; I believe; indicating how big the puddle of hydraulic fluid was behind the left wing. Maintenance personnel and a super tug arrived to inspect the aircraft and they informed us that the airport authority would not allow the aircraft to move again until the leak had stopped. This was about 10 minutes after both pumps had been turned off. I spoke to a mechanic again and asked for and received permission to pull the left engine fire handle in an attempt to stop the leak. At this point; busses were being arranged to come and pick up the passengers. Pulling the fire handle stemmed the flow sufficiently to satisfy the airport authority people and they approved [us] being towed to the closest gate we had open. The fire handle was reset after a few minutes; per the mechanic's permission; in order to restore APU bleed air to the air conditioning packs. Total time from touchdown to parking at [the] gate was 58 minutes. Customer Service supervisors met the aircraft due to irate passengers. Police were also there to file reports on the leak and at least one passenger was observed by the flight attendants yelling at a cop when he exited the aircraft. The leak was determined to be a cracked hydraulic return line on the left engine thrust reverser. No nose wheel steering or other landing gear related problems were encountered before we stopped the aircraft and shut down the hydraulic pumps.
B757 Captain reported loss of left hydraulic system after landing.