Narrative:

This flight was scheduled as a charter flight to aruba, antilles from bwi. Route of flight was bwi pxt orf ecg AR8 bacus R69 tallo A554 cdo A567 abu ava. After being handed off from ZDC to ny commercial radio, we could not contact them on VHF. We then determined that HF communication was required, which we were not equipped for. We then radio-relayed all position reports through other aircraft with no problems. Also we determined that as a 2-ENG aircraft, our route of flight was not in compliance with current company operations specifications for extended over-water flight and that the inertial equipment was not certified for our route. By the time we realized the situation we were in, I determined that rather than complicate the arwys communication by radio relays to coordinate a new route, the better course of action was to just press on. In my opinion, the dispatcher should have ensured that the correct routing was filed. Also, because the crew had little experience in oceanic navigation, we were led into the trap. I think also that the charts should make it very clear that HF communication is required equipment for particular routes. Fortunately, the entire flight operated west/O incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT PLANNED FOR AN OVER-WATER DESTINATION. FLT CREW OF MLG BECAME AWARE THEIR ACFT WAS NOT PROPERLY EQUIPPED WITH HIGH FREQ RADIO AND NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT FOR OVER-WATER FLT.

Narrative: THIS FLT WAS SCHEDULED AS A CHARTER FLT TO ARUBA, ANTILLES FROM BWI. ROUTE OF FLT WAS BWI PXT ORF ECG AR8 BACUS R69 TALLO A554 CDO A567 ABU AVA. AFTER BEING HANDED OFF FROM ZDC TO NY COMMERCIAL RADIO, WE COULD NOT CONTACT THEM ON VHF. WE THEN DETERMINED THAT HF COM WAS REQUIRED, WHICH WE WERE NOT EQUIPPED FOR. WE THEN RADIO-RELAYED ALL POS RPTS THROUGH OTHER ACFT WITH NO PROBS. ALSO WE DETERMINED THAT AS A 2-ENG ACFT, OUR ROUTE OF FLT WAS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH CURRENT COMPANY OPS SPECS FOR EXTENDED OVER-WATER FLT AND THAT THE INERTIAL EQUIP WAS NOT CERTIFIED FOR OUR ROUTE. BY THE TIME WE REALIZED THE SITUATION WE WERE IN, I DETERMINED THAT RATHER THAN COMPLICATE THE ARWYS COM BY RADIO RELAYS TO COORDINATE A NEW ROUTE, THE BETTER COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO JUST PRESS ON. IN MY OPINION, THE DISPATCHER SHOULD HAVE ENSURED THAT THE CORRECT ROUTING WAS FILED. ALSO, BECAUSE THE CREW HAD LITTLE EXPERIENCE IN OCEANIC NAV, WE WERE LED INTO THE TRAP. I THINK ALSO THAT THE CHARTS SHOULD MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT HF COM IS REQUIRED EQUIP FOR PARTICULAR ROUTES. FORTUNATELY, THE ENTIRE FLT OPERATED W/O INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.