A320
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Passenger Misconduct
Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; General Maintenance Action; General Police / Security Involved; General Declared Emergency
Aircraft
Passing through FL330; we received an ECAM message that said; 'GREEN HYDRAULIC SYSTEM RESERVE LOW.' I was the flying pilot and assumed control of the aircraft and radios and assigned the First Officer to consult the QRH for immediate action and exception items there were none. I then asked for 'ECAM ACTIONS'. The procedure was followed which called for the isolation and shutting down of the Green Hydraulic System. After completion of the initial ECAM procedure it was clear that it led to many more ECAM items and follow up items that must be accomplished. It was truly a very busy day in the cockpit. At this point I notified ATC of our situation and declared an emergency and to standby for more information of our plan on diversion or return. I also turned to our FAA Line Inspector; who was on our jump seat observing and told him that he was no longer evaluating us but was now a crew member and any and all input from him was appreciated. The flight attendants were notified using T.E.S.T. as a communication guide and the passengers were also notified from the cockpit. The three of us returned to the business of managing all the follow up items associated with the Green Hydraulic System now inoperative. We communicated with Maintenance Control and Dispatch our situation. We advised them that we were holding at FL330 present position and working through the procedures. We elected to return to departure airport. We planned on holding at a lower altitude with flaps 2 to burn down below max landing weight. Dispatch did give us the go ahead to land overweight but we thought having only one reverser; no autobrakes; slow flaps; only some spoilers; no nose wheel steering; manually lowering the landing gear; and an FAA guy helping us in the jump seat; that having lots of time; we elected to burn to less than 142 KTS for landing. At this point we received a call from the flight attendants that there was a passenger disturbance in back. An individual claiming to be a reporter would not follow crew member instruction during a declared emergency. This man was attempting to film and interview crew and passengers as the event unfolded and ignored all requests from crew and fellow passengers to sit down and behave. We finally assigned two armed police officers who were traveling with us to baby sit him while the adults handled the in flight emergency. After holding for more than an hour; our weight was below 142 KTS and we made an approach and landing. The landing gear was lowered manually with no event; we had briefed all the items that would pop up when we did this and planned for the extra time. The landing was uneventful and we stopped at the far end of the runway remaining on the runway until we were pulled to the gate. There was much rejoicing and lots of police to meet our; non compliant; passenger.
A320 crew experienced a GREEN HYD SYS RES LOW passing FL330 and elects to return to departure airport after declaring an emergency and burning down to landing weight.