Narrative:

Checked radar on preflight, storms 45000-55000 ft hail reported. Dispatcher files plane out to sea along the coast. (The start of my set up for this problem.) aircraft designated 73R (used right: to be 'rafts') later checked rafts west: is for 'water.' all types of numerous changes on this airplane paperwork. We now have get out of town water routes along the east coast. Brief crew, tell them water along the coast. Tell me if rafts are not onboard. Flight was late with rushed boarding, they never spoke as to them not being there. Safety checks being flight attendant responsibility I assume everything is ok. Taxi out, 3 route changes. Set up, route in box (1ST part) to get out of town. Airborne step climb to cruise, we look over route. I've flown oceanic before, not familiar with close in routes. Figure we are ok, with VHF 129.9 ny along the coast. Thinking to myself to be closer to the coast, WX must be bad that I would deviate off coast. Everything is fine I'm thinking, must be VHF close to coast with remote outlets (again not familiar with this route -- it was between oceanic routes and close in water routes out of town). I'm out there now, ny 129.9 hard to read -- old plane, a 300, controller says go to HF, no HF. We get position time estimates relayed to ny by way of another plane. Position altitude fixes all within limits and time. I'm now thinking did they (company) put me out here knowing I needed HF or do I only need VHF along this route. Was HF needed? Everything went smooth with fix relays etc, all on time and in limits. Later checked on rafts, no rafts. Reflecting, flight attendants were young, in early 20's, seemed nice but out there somewhere. Conclusion: learned a lesson(south). Won't ever make the mistake on trusting, do it myself. Will now not forget airplane suffixes right, west, etc, or be moved into such sits. Question: was the WX so bad I wouldn't had to deviate out overwater, that ATC and center sent me there? Would I have used captain's authority/authorized to deviate WX into airspace that had to be opened for us, or go this route to avoid WX and airspace problems. The company, ATC and I set myself up. Over 20000 hours to still learning. I set myself up and learned. (Note 800 to sdq had rafts not indicated by paperwork or in the usual place.) in retrospect I'm wondering if the 300 did indeed have rafts but not the usual place on the plane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 PIC ACCEPTS AN OFFSHORE RTE THAT VIOLATES THE FAR'S AND COMPANY POLICIES REGARDING EMER EQUIP AND RADIO COM REQUIRED ON A FLT IN EXTENDED OVERWATER OPS FROM EWR, NJ.

Narrative: CHKED RADAR ON PREFLT, STORMS 45000-55000 FT HAIL RPTED. DISPATCHER FILES PLANE OUT TO SEA ALONG THE COAST. (THE START OF MY SET UP FOR THIS PROB.) ACFT DESIGNATED 73R (USED R: TO BE 'RAFTS') LATER CHKED RAFTS W: IS FOR 'WATER.' ALL TYPES OF NUMEROUS CHANGES ON THIS AIRPLANE PAPERWORK. WE NOW HAVE GET OUT OF TOWN WATER ROUTES ALONG THE E COAST. BRIEF CREW, TELL THEM WATER ALONG THE COAST. TELL ME IF RAFTS ARE NOT ONBOARD. FLT WAS LATE WITH RUSHED BOARDING, THEY NEVER SPOKE AS TO THEM NOT BEING THERE. SAFETY CHKS BEING FLT ATTENDANT RESPONSIBILITY I ASSUME EVERYTHING IS OK. TAXI OUT, 3 RTE CHANGES. SET UP, RTE IN BOX (1ST PART) TO GET OUT OF TOWN. AIRBORNE STEP CLB TO CRUISE, WE LOOK OVER RTE. I'VE FLOWN OCEANIC BEFORE, NOT FAMILIAR WITH CLOSE IN ROUTES. FIGURE WE ARE OK, WITH VHF 129.9 NY ALONG THE COAST. THINKING TO MYSELF TO BE CLOSER TO THE COAST, WX MUST BE BAD THAT I WOULD DEVIATE OFF COAST. EVERYTHING IS FINE I'M THINKING, MUST BE VHF CLOSE TO COAST WITH REMOTE OUTLETS (AGAIN NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS RTE -- IT WAS BTWN OCEANIC ROUTES AND CLOSE IN WATER ROUTES OUT OF TOWN). I'M OUT THERE NOW, NY 129.9 HARD TO READ -- OLD PLANE, A 300, CTLR SAYS GO TO HF, NO HF. WE GET POS TIME ESTIMATES RELAYED TO NY BY WAY OF ANOTHER PLANE. POS ALT FIXES ALL WITHIN LIMITS AND TIME. I'M NOW THINKING DID THEY (COMPANY) PUT ME OUT HERE KNOWING I NEEDED HF OR DO I ONLY NEED VHF ALONG THIS RTE. WAS HF NEEDED? EVERYTHING WENT SMOOTH WITH FIX RELAYS ETC, ALL ON TIME AND IN LIMITS. LATER CHKED ON RAFTS, NO RAFTS. REFLECTING, FLT ATTENDANTS WERE YOUNG, IN EARLY 20'S, SEEMED NICE BUT OUT THERE SOMEWHERE. CONCLUSION: LEARNED A LESSON(S). WON'T EVER MAKE THE MISTAKE ON TRUSTING, DO IT MYSELF. WILL NOW NOT FORGET AIRPLANE SUFFIXES R, W, ETC, OR BE MOVED INTO SUCH SITS. QUESTION: WAS THE WX SO BAD I WOULDN'T HAD TO DEVIATE OUT OVERWATER, THAT ATC AND CTR SENT ME THERE? WOULD I HAVE USED CAPT'S AUTH TO DEVIATE WX INTO AIRSPACE THAT HAD TO BE OPENED FOR US, OR GO THIS RTE TO AVOID WX AND AIRSPACE PROBS. THE COMPANY, ATC AND I SET MYSELF UP. OVER 20000 HRS TO STILL LEARNING. I SET MYSELF UP AND LEARNED. (NOTE 800 TO SDQ HAD RAFTS NOT INDICATED BY PAPERWORK OR IN THE USUAL PLACE.) IN RETROSPECT I'M WONDERING IF THE 300 DID INDEED HAVE RAFTS BUT NOT THE USUAL PLACE ON THE PLANE.

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.