<< >> NASA ASRS Report 396610, March 1998

A B737 flight crew deviates around WX and in doing so they exceed the 50 mi offshore limit without overwater emergency equipment.

Attributes
ACN	396610
Time
Date	199803
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gls
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 28000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	396610
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	396876
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Departed msy en route to hou. Line of severe thunderstorms extended from louisiana and texas coastal waters northbound to arkansas. WX radar indicated no safe way through line of WX. ZHU recommended south deviation over gulf of mexico toward crp. Other aircraft had flown this route around south end of line. I elected to do this. During WX divert around WX we exceeded the 50 NM offshore limit. Flight to hou was smooth and uneventful. I believe I followed safest course of action. Line penetration was not an option. I believe FARS should allow flts beyond 50 NM offshore during WX diverts without using emergency authority/authorized under part 121.557. Reliability and speed of modern jet equipment allow this to be done safely without overwater survival equipment. This requirement and regulation is outdated. Supplemental information from acn 396876: if we did the flight again I would ask center to provide additional information reference the coastline since it is sometimes difficult to determine position from coast with VOR/DME information. A return to departure airport is also an option to remember.

Related reports:

• An overwater B757 deviates for WX avoidance. Had requested h...

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 FLC DEVIATES AROUND WX AND IN DOING SO THEY EXCEED THE 50 MI OFFSHORE LIMIT WITHOUT OVERWATER EMER EQUIP.

Narrative: DEPARTED MSY ENRTE TO HOU. LINE OF SEVERE TSTMS EXTENDED FROM LOUISIANA AND TEXAS COASTAL WATERS NBOUND TO ARKANSAS. WX RADAR INDICATED NO SAFE WAY THROUGH LINE OF WX. ZHU RECOMMENDED S DEV OVER GULF OF MEXICO TOWARD CRP. OTHER ACFT HAD FLOWN THIS RTE AROUND S END OF LINE. I ELECTED TO DO THIS. DURING WX DIVERT AROUND WX WE EXCEEDED THE 50 NM OFFSHORE LIMIT. FLT TO HOU WAS SMOOTH AND UNEVENTFUL. I BELIEVE I FOLLOWED SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION. LINE PENETRATION WAS NOT AN OPTION. I BELIEVE FARS SHOULD ALLOW FLTS BEYOND 50 NM OFFSHORE DURING WX DIVERTS WITHOUT USING EMER AUTH UNDER PART 121.557. RELIABILITY AND SPD OF MODERN JET EQUIP ALLOW THIS TO BE DONE SAFELY WITHOUT OVERWATER SURVIVAL EQUIP. THIS REQUIREMENT AND REG IS OUTDATED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 396876: IF WE DID THE FLT AGAIN I WOULD ASK CTR TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFO REF THE COASTLINE SINCE IT IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE POS FROM COAST WITH VOR/DME INFO. A RETURN TO DEP ARPT IS ALSO AN OPTION TO REMEMBER.

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.