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Medium large transport entering south american country without life rafts required by foreign country. Flight plan states they are aboard.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 221956 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199209 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sal |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 400 |
| ASRS Report | 221956 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Flew copilot on flight mia-sal. Discovered by talking to company employees that country of el salvador requires company aircraft to have 4 life rafts onboard for airport entries and exits. Company is submitting ICAO flight plans to government stating 4 life rafts are on board when in fact there are none. I was told this is done because 0 was entered on flight plan and the government authorities would reject the flight plan and not allow flts to operate. To the best of my knowledge company only has 4 medium large transport aircraft that are considered over water qualified. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states she was informed by another pilot of the false flight plan information. Concerned that certificate was in jeopardy, contacted dispatch for clarification and contacted FAA for same. FAA referred to hotline, mentioned that raft requirement is ICAO regulation. Dispatch claimed they just check life rafts on board to expedite flts. There is an exemption for some series of the medium large transport but not all. Those exempted must have life jackets and over water qualified crew. Dispatch claimed they would send notice to the stations involved. Hasn't happened yet.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MLG ENTERING S AMERICAN COUNTRY WITHOUT LIFE RAFTS REQUIRED BY FOREIGN COUNTRY. FLT PLAN STATES THEY ARE ABOARD.
Narrative: FLEW COPLT ON FLT MIA-SAL. DISCOVERED BY TALKING TO COMPANY EMPLOYEES THAT COUNTRY OF EL SALVADOR REQUIRES COMPANY ACFT TO HAVE 4 LIFE RAFTS ONBOARD FOR ARPT ENTRIES AND EXITS. COMPANY IS SUBMITTING ICAO FLT PLANS TO GOV STATING 4 LIFE RAFTS ARE ON BOARD WHEN IN FACT THERE ARE NONE. I WAS TOLD THIS IS DONE BECAUSE 0 WAS ENTERED ON FLT PLAN AND THE GOV AUTHORITIES WOULD REJECT THE FLT PLAN AND NOT ALLOW FLTS TO OPERATE. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE COMPANY ONLY HAS 4 MLG ACFT THAT ARE CONSIDERED OVER WATER QUALIFIED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES SHE WAS INFORMED BY ANOTHER PLT OF THE FALSE FLT PLAN INFO. CONCERNED THAT CERTIFICATE WAS IN JEOPARDY, CONTACTED DISPATCH FOR CLARIFICATION AND CONTACTED FAA FOR SAME. FAA REFERRED TO HOTLINE, MENTIONED THAT RAFT REQUIREMENT IS ICAO REG. DISPATCH CLAIMED THEY JUST CHK LIFE RAFTS ON BOARD TO EXPEDITE FLTS. THERE IS AN EXEMPTION FOR SOME SERIES OF THE MLG BUT NOT ALL. THOSE EXEMPTED MUST HAVE LIFE JACKETS AND OVER WATER QUALIFIED CREW. DISPATCH CLAIMED THEY WOULD SEND NOTICE TO THE STATIONS INVOLVED. HASN'T HAPPENED YET.
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.