Company dispatcher alerts B757 flight crew that they are beyond 50 NM from land in ZHU airspace.

Attributes
ACN	420291
Time
Date	199811
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hou
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	420291
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	420290
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

ATC facility: ZHU. Location: gulf of mexico. We received an unsolicited ACARS message from dispatch while deviating around WX and chop, reminding us we were not overwater equipped. We gave our customers a smooth safe ride within gliding distance of the shoreline, but slightly farther than 50 mi from shore for WX deviations. Why was dispatch interrogating us?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMPANY DISPATCHER ALERTS B757 FLC THAT THEY ARE BEYOND 50 NM FROM LAND IN ZHU AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ATC FACILITY: ZHU. LOCATION: GULF OF MEXICO. WE RECEIVED AN UNSOLICITED ACARS MESSAGE FROM DISPATCH WHILE DEVIATING AROUND WX AND CHOP, REMINDING US WE WERE NOT OVERWATER EQUIPPED. WE GAVE OUR CUSTOMERS A SMOOTH SAFE RIDE WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE OF THE SHORELINE, BUT SLIGHTLY FARTHER THAN 50 MI FROM SHORE FOR WX DEVS. WHY WAS DISPATCH INTERROGATING US?

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.