Narrative:

This trip was conducted between ewr/sdq/ewr. Due to inclement WX, aircraft arrived past scheduled departure time. Company dispatch release adn ICAO flight plan data indicated that the aircraft was equipped with INS and HF radios. While with omega instead of INS and no HF radios were installed. This was my first overwater caribbean trip and I felt very uncomfortable regarding contingencies and alternate rtes. The HF radios were not installed ana if they were installed and found inoperative, it would have triggered my crew to check MEL for dispatch compliance! I felt I needed additional input. I spoke with my chief pilot and I advised him of the situation and he said 'you don't need a HF radio to go to santo domingo.' apparently he did not realize that flight plan routing would put us outside of VHF communication range during portions of our trip. The APU was inoperative and air conditioning units were not available. Conditions in the cabin were extremely hot and humid. There was a lot of pressure to dispatch the flight to sdq. After establishing en route that arinc radio was not available on VHF radio equipment I then established communication with an air carrier Y flight and he was helpful in relaying position reports to ATC until reentering VHF range. On the return flight I advised miami center and we proceeded with their cooperation and approval to ewr. The entire trip was conducted in a safe manner and west/O incident. Upon my return to my home base, I conferred with my assistant chief pilot, dispatchers, duty director, ATC ad stress the need for: more definite and thorough route briefs with emphasis on contingencies, alternate planning and accurate data on equipment status. The importance of assigning adequate equipment to certain rtes. The captain can not do it all.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB WAS DISPATCHED OVER AN EXTENDED OVER WATER ROUTE WITHOUT HF RADIO. PIC ADVISED HIS CHIEF PLT BEFORE TKOF AND WAS TOLD HF RADIO NOT REQUIRED.

Narrative: THIS TRIP WAS CONDUCTED BTWN EWR/SDQ/EWR. DUE TO INCLEMENT WX, ACFT ARRIVED PAST SCHEDULED DEP TIME. COMPANY DISPATCH RELEASE ADN ICAO FLT PLAN DATA INDICATED THAT THE ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH INS AND HF RADIOS. WHILE WITH OMEGA INSTEAD OF INS AND NO HF RADIOS WERE INSTALLED. THIS WAS MY FIRST OVERWATER CARIBBEAN TRIP AND I FELT VERY UNCOMFORTABLE REGARDING CONTINGENCIES AND ALTERNATE RTES. THE HF RADIOS WERE NOT INSTALLED ANA IF THEY WERE INSTALLED AND FOUND INOP, IT WOULD HAVE TRIGGERED MY CREW TO CHK MEL FOR DISPATCH COMPLIANCE! I FELT I NEEDED ADDITIONAL INPUT. I SPOKE WITH MY CHIEF PLT AND I ADVISED HIM OF THE SITUATION AND HE SAID 'YOU DON'T NEED A HF RADIO TO GO TO SANTO DOMINGO.' APPARENTLY HE DID NOT REALIZE THAT FLT PLAN RTING WOULD PUT US OUTSIDE OF VHF COM RANGE DURING PORTIONS OF OUR TRIP. THE APU WAS INOP AND AIR CONDITIONING UNITS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. CONDITIONS IN THE CABIN WERE EXTREMELY HOT AND HUMID. THERE WAS A LOT OF PRESSURE TO DISPATCH THE FLT TO SDQ. AFTER ESTABLISHING ENRTE THAT ARINC RADIO WAS NOT AVAILABLE ON VHF RADIO EQUIP I THEN ESTABLISHED COM WITH AN ACR Y FLT AND HE WAS HELPFUL IN RELAYING POS RPTS TO ATC UNTIL REENTERING VHF RANGE. ON THE RETURN FLT I ADVISED MIAMI CTR AND WE PROCEEDED WITH THEIR COOPERATION AND APPROVAL TO EWR. THE ENTIRE TRIP WAS CONDUCTED IN A SAFE MANNER AND W/O INCIDENT. UPON MY RETURN TO MY HOME BASE, I CONFERRED WITH MY ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT, DISPATCHERS, DUTY DIRECTOR, ATC AD STRESS THE NEED FOR: MORE DEFINITE AND THOROUGH RTE BRIEFS WITH EMPHASIS ON CONTINGENCIES, ALTERNATE PLANNING AND ACCURATE DATA ON EQUIP STATUS. THE IMPORTANCE OF ASSIGNING ADEQUATE EQUIP TO CERTAIN RTES. THE CAPT CAN NOT DO IT ALL.

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.