If an actual low fluid condition exists, placing the gear handle to the down position before completing the appropriate emergency procedure will result in ____________.

If an actual low fluid condition exists, placing the gear handle to the down position before completing the appropriate emergency procedure will result in ____________.

• A. Electric hydraulic pump failure
• B. Decreased flight control response due to loss of hydraulic pressure
• C. Loss of primary hydraulic pressure
• D. Loss of braking accumulator pressure

Answer: (D)

When hydraulic fluid is already running low, every action that uses hydraulic pressure further stresses the limited energy stored in the system. In the MH-65E, braking is supplied not only by the primary hydraulic system but also by braking accumulators that store pressurized fluid to operate the brakes even if pumps aren’t delivering pressure. Moving the gear handle to the down position in this low-fluid state draws on that same hydraulic energy and can deplete the already scarce fluid from the braking accumulators. So the immediate result is a loss of braking accumulator pressure, which reduces or eliminates the ability to apply the brakes when needed. The other potential outcomes describe broader hydraulic failures that aren’t as directly tied to the act of placing the gear down under a low-fluid condition.

When hydraulic fluid is already running low, every action that uses hydraulic pressure further stresses the limited energy stored in the system. In the MH-65E, braking is supplied not only by the primary hydraulic system but also by braking accumulators that store pressurized fluid to operate the brakes even if pumps aren’t delivering pressure. Moving the gear handle to the down position in this low-fluid state draws on that same hydraulic energy and can deplete the already scarce fluid from the braking accumulators.

So the immediate result is a loss of braking accumulator pressure, which reduces or eliminates the ability to apply the brakes when needed. The other potential outcomes describe broader hydraulic failures that aren’t as directly tied to the act of placing the gear down under a low-fluid condition.