Narrative:

Scheduled to fly an widebody transport over 630 mi of open ocean with no overwater equipment. After passing 40 NM south of nassau, there is no airport which an widebody transport can use for nearly 600 mi. We have no charts and no information regarding any small airports on the coral islands, and none of them have any navigation or approach facs, and even if they did, the runways are too short for us to use them. This operation is being conducted by airlines on the basis of the far which says you do not need overwater equipment if you remain within 50 NM of land, but I do not believe small chunks of coral, too small to land an aircraft on, in the middle of open ocean are what the FAA had in mind. For what use they are to us, they might as well not be there. And, keep in mind, this is a two engine aircraft to start with. The possibility of being in a single engine jumbo jet 300 NM from the nearest land you can use, with no life rafts, is really scary. Please help us persuade the FAA to change the policy which permits this utter folly. Note: I refused the aircraft and they got us another one. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following. Reporter simply reiterated his feelings that flotation gear should be on board unless the aircraft could be operated within 50 mi of an airport that could accept his size aircraft. He added that he thought the subject aircraft had been sold.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER FEELS THAT HIS ACFT WAS OPERATED WITHOUT LIFE PRESERVERS MORE THAN 50 MI FROM USABLE ARPTS EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE NEVER MORE THAN 50 MI FROM LAND.

Narrative: SCHEDULED TO FLY AN WDB OVER 630 MI OF OPEN OCEAN WITH NO OVERWATER EQUIP. AFTER PASSING 40 NM S OF NASSAU, THERE IS NO ARPT WHICH AN WDB CAN USE FOR NEARLY 600 MI. WE HAVE NO CHARTS AND NO INFO REGARDING ANY SMALL ARPTS ON THE CORAL ISLANDS, AND NONE OF THEM HAVE ANY NAV OR APCH FACS, AND EVEN IF THEY DID, THE RWYS ARE TOO SHORT FOR US TO USE THEM. THIS OPERATION IS BEING CONDUCTED BY AIRLINES ON THE BASIS OF THE FAR WHICH SAYS YOU DO NOT NEED OVERWATER EQUIP IF YOU REMAIN WITHIN 50 NM OF LAND, BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE SMALL CHUNKS OF CORAL, TOO SMALL TO LAND AN ACFT ON, IN THE MIDDLE OF OPEN OCEAN ARE WHAT THE FAA HAD IN MIND. FOR WHAT USE THEY ARE TO US, THEY MIGHT AS WELL NOT BE THERE. AND, KEEP IN MIND, THIS IS A TWO ENG ACFT TO START WITH. THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING IN A SINGLE ENG JUMBO JET 300 NM FROM THE NEAREST LAND YOU CAN USE, WITH NO LIFE RAFTS, IS REALLY SCARY. PLEASE HELP US PERSUADE THE FAA TO CHANGE THE POLICY WHICH PERMITS THIS UTTER FOLLY. NOTE: I REFUSED THE ACFT AND THEY GOT US ANOTHER ONE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING. RPTR SIMPLY REITERATED HIS FEELINGS THAT FLOTATION GEAR SHOULD BE ON BOARD UNLESS THE ACFT COULD BE OPERATED WITHIN 50 MI OF AN ARPT THAT COULD ACCEPT HIS SIZE ACFT. HE ADDED THAT HE THOUGHT THE SUBJECT ACFT HAD BEEN SOLD.

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