Narrative:

We received notice of a pop-up trip about 2 1/2 hours before scheduled departure from lga. We had to repos aircraft from teb to lga. The ultimate destination was bermuda. We were told not to be late because our company had been late twice before and the customer had said if we're late 1 more time he would cancel our contract. Our company does not keep life rafts on any of our lear 60's. They rely on an internal system of schedulers and customer service personnel to make a raft available for each flight that needs one. Upon arriving at teb, maintenance personnel were finishing the replacement of a frayed door cable. This delayed us by 40 mins. Soon after engine start our #1 attitude and heading reference system would not come on line. After working with it for 15 mins it finally stabilized itself and we left for lga. This flight took 30 mins due to ATC delays. When we finally arrived at lga, it was 10 mins until our scheduled departure and 1 of 6 passenger was there. We hurriedly fueled and prepared for the leg to bermuda. We took off 40 mins after our scheduled departure time. Several hours after arriving at bermuda we realized we had forgotten the life raft. We had it flown to us via counter-to-counter on an air carrier and returned to the states with it. Our internal system of checks failed as well as the memories of both pilots. Our flight controller failed to ask us if we had the raft when we called for our release. Our scheduler failed to facsimile the raft tracking form to us as well. My suggestion (which has been my position for about 10 months) is to place life rafts on all our lear 60's. This is now being seriously considered and will probably occur.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF LEAR 60 DEPARTS FOR OVERWATER FLT WITHOUT RAFT ABOARD.

Narrative: WE RECEIVED NOTICE OF A POP-UP TRIP ABOUT 2 1/2 HRS BEFORE SCHEDULED DEP FROM LGA. WE HAD TO REPOS ACFT FROM TEB TO LGA. THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION WAS BERMUDA. WE WERE TOLD NOT TO BE LATE BECAUSE OUR COMPANY HAD BEEN LATE TWICE BEFORE AND THE CUSTOMER HAD SAID IF WE'RE LATE 1 MORE TIME HE WOULD CANCEL OUR CONTRACT. OUR COMPANY DOES NOT KEEP LIFE RAFTS ON ANY OF OUR LEAR 60'S. THEY RELY ON AN INTERNAL SYS OF SCHEDULERS AND CUSTOMER SVC PERSONNEL TO MAKE A RAFT AVAILABLE FOR EACH FLT THAT NEEDS ONE. UPON ARRIVING AT TEB, MAINT PERSONNEL WERE FINISHING THE REPLACEMENT OF A FRAYED DOOR CABLE. THIS DELAYED US BY 40 MINS. SOON AFTER ENG START OUR #1 ATTITUDE AND HDG REF SYS WOULD NOT COME ON LINE. AFTER WORKING WITH IT FOR 15 MINS IT FINALLY STABILIZED ITSELF AND WE LEFT FOR LGA. THIS FLT TOOK 30 MINS DUE TO ATC DELAYS. WHEN WE FINALLY ARRIVED AT LGA, IT WAS 10 MINS UNTIL OUR SCHEDULED DEP AND 1 OF 6 PAX WAS THERE. WE HURRIEDLY FUELED AND PREPARED FOR THE LEG TO BERMUDA. WE TOOK OFF 40 MINS AFTER OUR SCHEDULED DEP TIME. SEVERAL HRS AFTER ARRIVING AT BERMUDA WE REALIZED WE HAD FORGOTTEN THE LIFE RAFT. WE HAD IT FLOWN TO US VIA COUNTER-TO-COUNTER ON AN ACR AND RETURNED TO THE STATES WITH IT. OUR INTERNAL SYS OF CHKS FAILED AS WELL AS THE MEMORIES OF BOTH PLTS. OUR FLT CTLR FAILED TO ASK US IF WE HAD THE RAFT WHEN WE CALLED FOR OUR RELEASE. OUR SCHEDULER FAILED TO FAX THE RAFT TRACKING FORM TO US AS WELL. MY SUGGESTION (WHICH HAS BEEN MY POS FOR ABOUT 10 MONTHS) IS TO PLACE LIFE RAFTS ON ALL OUR LEAR 60'S. THIS IS NOW BEING SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED AND WILL PROBABLY OCCUR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.