Narrative:

I immediately clicked the 'user define' box on the commercial supplier flight planning system, which automatically plans best wind, atlantic route, if a particular route is not selected. I was not trying to plan best winds, but was looking at optional rtes for thunderstorm avoidance in florida. By not selecting an additional route, the flight planning picks best wind route. The flight plan was filed with ATC unknowingly, and flight was 75 mi out from land, avoiding thunderstorm when he realized he was past the 50 mi limit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 EXCEEDED 50 MI OFF SHORE WITHOUT REQUIRED OVERWATER EQUIP AND TRAINING.

Narrative: I IMMEDIATELY CLICKED THE 'USER DEFINE' BOX ON THE COMMERCIAL SUPPLIER FLT PLANNING SYS, WHICH AUTOMATICALLY PLANS BEST WIND, ATLANTIC RTE, IF A PARTICULAR RTE IS NOT SELECTED. I WAS NOT TRYING TO PLAN BEST WINDS, BUT WAS LOOKING AT OPTIONAL RTES FOR TSTM AVOIDANCE IN FLORIDA. BY NOT SELECTING AN ADDITIONAL RTE, THE FLT PLANNING PICKS BEST WIND RTE. THE FLT PLAN WAS FILED WITH ATC UNKNOWINGLY, AND FLT WAS 75 MI OUT FROM LAND, AVOIDING TSTM WHEN HE REALIZED HE WAS PAST THE 50 MI LIMIT.

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.