General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) Practice Exam

What might happen if the right hydraulic system loses pressure?

1. Normal braking is unaffected

2. Autobrake and taxi brake release become inoperative

3. All hydraulic systems will fail

4. The aircraft will revert to manual braking

The correct answer is: Autobrake and taxi brake release become inoperative

When the right hydraulic system loses pressure, the functionality of various aircraft systems that rely on hydraulic power is compromised. In this context, the autobrake system, which assists in automatically applying braking during landing, as well as the taxi brake release capabilities that enable the aircraft to move after landing, are dependent on hydraulic pressure. If the right hydraulic system is compromised, these functionalities could indeed become inoperative because they rely on the hydraulic pressure provided by that system. This situation does not directly affect normal braking, which can still operate through other means or systems, and does not lead to a complete failure of all hydraulic systems in the aircraft, as they may still be operational through the left hydraulic system or alternative redundant systems. Similarly, the aircraft would not revert to manual braking solely due to the loss of pressure in the right hydraulic system, as manual braking can still be managed even with reduced hydraulic assistance. Therefore, the understanding of hydraulic systems, particularly their interdependencies, helps clarify why the inoperability of the autobrake and taxi brake release due to pressure loss in the right hydraulic system is the most accurate consequence.