Narrative:

I have safety concerns referring to the deep water offshore route used for domestic crews along the east coast. First of all; three high altitude charts are required. High 5/6; high and en route us 501. Neither chart has enough overlap for a pilot to establish good situational awareness as to the 162 NM limit or the 100 NM limit north of 35 degree latitude. I also found out that this route is right on the edge of going non radar. As had happened before; ATC offered me direct hanri intersection well south of snabs which would have taken me well beyond the 162 NM limit as prescribed in our operations specifications extended overwater operations. A navigation chart with good overlap would assist with better situational awareness. While approaching the new york area around paepr intersection numerous aircraft and I needed to deviate due to WX. Again not one chart aided in situational awareness of the rtes; overwater limits or non radar limits. (En route 501 chart does not have the 100 NM or 162 NM limits marked.) ATC queried me as to how much longer I needed on my deviation. I stated another 40 miles before I could turn on course. ATC advised I had only 20 miles before I went non radar and needed the turn. I was prepared to use my emergency authority but wasn't sure about the consequence using it to go non radar or beyond the offshore distance. I felt that this deep water offshore route boxed me into a corner. I elected to penetrate the weakest part of the WX luckily with nothing more than light chop. This is the 3RD or 4TH time I have flown this routing. Each time ATC has given me a direct that would have taken me beyond the mileage limit set forth in our operations specifications. I believe there should be a chart available that shows more overlap on this routing and that operations manual should broach the subject of a domestic pilot flying into a non radar environment on extended overwater routes.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter emphasized his concern about the lack of company direction regarding their expectation of flight crew actions when situations develop regarding the offshore limits. He advised at least one flight crew was reprimanded for exercising captain's authority to exceed the limit in order to safely deviate WX instead of returning to the departure airport or diverting. His primary concern remained the inadequacy of the standard commercial charts to determine compliance with the limits.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CAPT STATES COMPANY SUPPLIED COMMERCIAL CHARTS ARE INADEQUATE FOR DOMESTIC FLT CREWS TO DETERMINE COMPLIANCE WITH OFF SHORE LIMITS WHEN VECTORED OR DEVIATING FOR WX.

Narrative: I HAVE SAFETY CONCERNS REFERRING TO THE DEEP WATER OFFSHORE RTE USED FOR DOMESTIC CREWS ALONG THE E COAST. FIRST OF ALL; THREE HIGH ALT CHARTS ARE REQUIRED. HIGH 5/6; HIGH AND ENRTE US 501. NEITHER CHART HAS ENOUGH OVERLAP FOR A PLT TO ESTABLISH GOOD SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AS TO THE 162 NM LIMIT OR THE 100 NM LIMIT N OF 35 DEG LATITUDE. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT THIS RTE IS RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF GOING NON RADAR. AS HAD HAPPENED BEFORE; ATC OFFERED ME DIRECT HANRI INTXN WELL S OF SNABS WHICH WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME WELL BEYOND THE 162 NM LIMIT AS PRESCRIBED IN OUR OPS SPECS EXTENDED OVERWATER OPS. A NAVIGATION CHART WITH GOOD OVERLAP WOULD ASSIST WITH BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. WHILE APCHING THE NEW YORK AREA AROUND PAEPR INTXN NUMEROUS ACFT AND I NEEDED TO DEVIATE DUE TO WX. AGAIN NOT ONE CHART AIDED IN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF THE RTES; OVERWATER LIMITS OR NON RADAR LIMITS. (ENRTE 501 CHART DOES NOT HAVE THE 100 NM OR 162 NM LIMITS MARKED.) ATC QUERIED ME AS TO HOW MUCH LONGER I NEEDED ON MY DEVIATION. I STATED ANOTHER 40 MILES BEFORE I COULD TURN ON COURSE. ATC ADVISED I HAD ONLY 20 MILES BEFORE I WENT NON RADAR AND NEEDED THE TURN. I WAS PREPARED TO USE MY EMER AUTHORITY BUT WASN'T SURE ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCE USING IT TO GO NON RADAR OR BEYOND THE OFFSHORE DISTANCE. I FELT THAT THIS DEEP WATER OFFSHORE RTE BOXED ME INTO A CORNER. I ELECTED TO PENETRATE THE WEAKEST PART OF THE WX LUCKILY WITH NOTHING MORE THAN LIGHT CHOP. THIS IS THE 3RD OR 4TH TIME I HAVE FLOWN THIS ROUTING. EACH TIME ATC HAS GIVEN ME A DIRECT THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME BEYOND THE MILEAGE LIMIT SET FORTH IN OUR OPS SPECS. I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE A CHART AVAILABLE THAT SHOWS MORE OVERLAP ON THIS ROUTING AND THAT OPS MANUAL SHOULD BROACH THE SUBJECT OF A DOMESTIC PLT FLYING INTO A NON RADAR ENVIRONMENT ON EXTENDED OVERWATER ROUTES.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR EMPHASIZED HIS CONCERN ABOUT THE LACK OF COMPANY DIRECTION REGARDING THEIR EXPECTATION OF FLT CREW ACTIONS WHEN SITUATIONS DEVELOP REGARDING THE OFFSHORE LIMITS. HE ADVISED AT LEAST ONE FLT CREW WAS REPRIMANDED FOR EXERCISING CAPT'S AUTHORITY TO EXCEED THE LIMIT IN ORDER TO SAFELY DEVIATE WX INSTEAD OF RETURNING TO THE DEP ARPT OR DIVERTING. HIS PRIMARY CONCERN REMAINED THE INADEQUACY OF THE STANDARD COMMERCIAL CHARTS TO DETERMINE COMPLIANCE WITH THE LIMITS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.