A beech 400 flight crew departs on a passenger flight to stt, vi, without a life raft in an overwate...

Attributes
ACN	469352
Time
Date	200004
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pbi.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Beechjet 400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : preflight ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 7400 flight time type : 550
ASRS Report	469352
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	469150
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Aircraft Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Upon a late arrival at pbi due to thunderstorms, the captain and I quickly went about our duties for the next leg to st thomas, vi. The owner arrived for departure and the line guys brought his bags to the aircraft. There were 2 bags sitting in the doorway of the aircraft as the captain and I walked to the airplane. I stowed the bags, we loaded up and departed to st thomas. Our company had made all our arrangements including the filing of our flight plan. After an uneventful flight and landing at st thomas and showing the owner on his way, the captain remarked 'where are those bags?' I said they were the owners. Captain said 'I thought that was the life raft.' we then looked at each other like 'oh, no!' we at that moment realized we had inadvertently forgotten the raft. At pbi when the captain initially saw the owner's bags, he assumed they were the raft. While attending to my sic duties, I thought the captain grabbed the raft and put it on board. We did have life vests on the aircraft. Far 91.509 states that 'no person may take off an airplane for a flight over water more than 30 mins flying time or 100 NM from the nearest shoreline unless you have a life raft.' we restudied our flight planned route several times, read and reread far 91.509, and to the best of our knowledge, we determined we had not at any point been 100 NM or more from the nearest shoreline, so had not violated 91.509. It seems a bit gray, and black and white at the same time. We were and are very concerned. Supplemental information from acn 469150: during loading of the aircraft, my brand new sic asked me what I wanted to do with 2 bags he had placed near the entrance of the aircraft. I immediately assumed (incorrectly) that they were life vests and a lift boat and told him I'd check on final position later, but for the moment, they were ok. After arriving in tist, I noticed the bags were gone and I asked the copilot where they were. He stated they were the passenger and that the passenger took them. We checked our life vests and flew back to pbi, never more than 100 NM from shore, even denying a direct clearance which would have made it close.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECH 400 FLC DEPARTS ON A PAX FLT TO STT, VI, WITHOUT A LIFE RAFT IN AN OVERWATER FLT FROM PBI, FL.

Narrative: UPON A LATE ARR AT PBI DUE TO TSTMS, THE CAPT AND I QUICKLY WENT ABOUT OUR DUTIES FOR THE NEXT LEG TO ST THOMAS, VI. THE OWNER ARRIVED FOR DEP AND THE LINE GUYS BROUGHT HIS BAGS TO THE ACFT. THERE WERE 2 BAGS SITTING IN THE DOORWAY OF THE ACFT AS THE CAPT AND I WALKED TO THE AIRPLANE. I STOWED THE BAGS, WE LOADED UP AND DEPARTED TO ST THOMAS. OUR COMPANY HAD MADE ALL OUR ARRANGEMENTS INCLUDING THE FILING OF OUR FLT PLAN. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL FLT AND LNDG AT ST THOMAS AND SHOWING THE OWNER ON HIS WAY, THE CAPT REMARKED 'WHERE ARE THOSE BAGS?' I SAID THEY WERE THE OWNERS. CAPT SAID 'I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE LIFE RAFT.' WE THEN LOOKED AT EACH OTHER LIKE 'OH, NO!' WE AT THAT MOMENT REALIZED WE HAD INADVERTENTLY FORGOTTEN THE RAFT. AT PBI WHEN THE CAPT INITIALLY SAW THE OWNER'S BAGS, HE ASSUMED THEY WERE THE RAFT. WHILE ATTENDING TO MY SIC DUTIES, I THOUGHT THE CAPT GRABBED THE RAFT AND PUT IT ON BOARD. WE DID HAVE LIFE VESTS ON THE ACFT. FAR 91.509 STATES THAT 'NO PERSON MAY TAKE OFF AN AIRPLANE FOR A FLT OVER WATER MORE THAN 30 MINS FLYING TIME OR 100 NM FROM THE NEAREST SHORELINE UNLESS YOU HAVE A LIFE RAFT.' WE RESTUDIED OUR FLT PLANNED RTE SEVERAL TIMES, READ AND REREAD FAR 91.509, AND TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, WE DETERMINED WE HAD NOT AT ANY POINT BEEN 100 NM OR MORE FROM THE NEAREST SHORELINE, SO HAD NOT VIOLATED 91.509. IT SEEMS A BIT GRAY, AND BLACK AND WHITE AT THE SAME TIME. WE WERE AND ARE VERY CONCERNED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 469150: DURING LOADING OF THE ACFT, MY BRAND NEW SIC ASKED ME WHAT I WANTED TO DO WITH 2 BAGS HE HAD PLACED NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE ACFT. I IMMEDIATELY ASSUMED (INCORRECTLY) THAT THEY WERE LIFE VESTS AND A LIFT BOAT AND TOLD HIM I'D CHK ON FINAL POS LATER, BUT FOR THE MOMENT, THEY WERE OK. AFTER ARRIVING IN TIST, I NOTICED THE BAGS WERE GONE AND I ASKED THE COPLT WHERE THEY WERE. HE STATED THEY WERE THE PAX AND THAT THE PAX TOOK THEM. WE CHKED OUR LIFE VESTS AND FLEW BACK TO PBI, NEVER MORE THAN 100 NM FROM SHORE, EVEN DENYING A DIRECT CLRNC WHICH WOULD HAVE MADE IT CLOSE.

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.

A beech 400 flight crew departs on a passenger flight to stt, vi, without a life raft in an overwater flight from pbi, fl.