Flight crew makes overwater flight without proper equipment.

Attributes
ACN	294907
Time
Date	199501
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mmid
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : mmid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	294907
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The aircraft had an emergency locator transmitter inoperative. Per the MEL it limited the flight to within 50 mi from the nearest shoreline. I flight planned the flight under these conditions. The captain flew an overwater route under his own authority/authorized. I was not aware of this until several days afterwards.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC MAKES OVERWATER FLT WITHOUT PROPER EQUIP.

Narrative: THE ACFT HAD AN EMER LOCATOR XMITTER INOP. PER THE MEL IT LIMITED THE FLT TO WITHIN 50 MI FROM THE NEAREST SHORELINE. I FLT PLANNED THE FLT UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. THE CAPT FLEW AN OVERWATER RTE UNDER HIS OWN AUTH. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS UNTIL SEVERAL DAYS AFTERWARDS.

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.