Narrative:

The departure end of runway 17 of the myrtle beach AFB is only 1/2 mi from the atlantic ocean. Our company manual prohibits extended overwater flts due to the fact that we do not have any floatation devices on board the aircraft. The same reason prohibits us from flying the ILS 35 approach into myr AFB. Runway 17 is in use about 90% of the time. Normally after departure we are able to reach departure control in a timely manner to avoid any conflicting situations. This time however, we had quite some trouble. After flying runway heading, as instructed by the tower in our takeoff clearance, the first officer's calls to departure went unanswered. We could hear him, as he was talking to at least one civilian flight and 2 military flts. That day we were heavy and the temperature was hot. Therefore, the performance of the airplane was not too good. We ended up so far from the beach that in my opinion we would barely make the beach, let alone the airport, that I initiated a right turn. By the time that departure answered our calls, we were almost on a downwind leg. After being questioned by departure, we were told to request a right turn from the tower in the future. We have done that occasionally, but most of the time we are told to take that up with departure. It kind of leaves you between a rock and a hard place. Tower will not give it to you and departure might not answer you quickly enough to remain legal. Best thing to do at the moment is to climb out at a higher rate of climb with a lower than normal airspeed until we have reached sufficient altitude. Callback conversation from supplemental report #93211 revealed: company thinks they have to have floatation device to go over water of any kind under part 135. Feel they cannot even make approach to runway on ILS if it is overwater. Claims this is in their operations specifications.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT COMPLAINS ABOUT BEING VECTORED OVERWATER ON TKOF BECAUSE OPERATOR SPECIFICATIONS DO NOT APPROVE EXTENDED OVERWATER OPERATION AND MADE A TRACK DEVIATION TO AVOID OVERWATER.

Narrative: THE DEP END OF RWY 17 OF THE MYRTLE BEACH AFB IS ONLY 1/2 MI FROM THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. OUR COMPANY MANUAL PROHIBITS EXTENDED OVERWATER FLTS DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE DO NOT HAVE ANY FLOATATION DEVICES ON BOARD THE ACFT. THE SAME REASON PROHIBITS US FROM FLYING THE ILS 35 APCH INTO MYR AFB. RWY 17 IS IN USE ABOUT 90% OF THE TIME. NORMALLY AFTER DEP WE ARE ABLE TO REACH DEP CTL IN A TIMELY MANNER TO AVOID ANY CONFLICTING SITUATIONS. THIS TIME HOWEVER, WE HAD QUITE SOME TROUBLE. AFTER FLYING RWY HDG, AS INSTRUCTED BY THE TWR IN OUR TKOF CLRNC, THE F/O'S CALLS TO DEP WENT UNANSWERED. WE COULD HEAR HIM, AS HE WAS TALKING TO AT LEAST ONE CIVILIAN FLT AND 2 MIL FLTS. THAT DAY WE WERE HVY AND THE TEMP WAS HOT. THEREFORE, THE PERFORMANCE OF THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT TOO GOOD. WE ENDED UP SO FAR FROM THE BEACH THAT IN MY OPINION WE WOULD BARELY MAKE THE BEACH, LET ALONE THE ARPT, THAT I INITIATED A RIGHT TURN. BY THE TIME THAT DEP ANSWERED OUR CALLS, WE WERE ALMOST ON A DOWNWIND LEG. AFTER BEING QUESTIONED BY DEP, WE WERE TOLD TO REQUEST A RIGHT TURN FROM THE TWR IN THE FUTURE. WE HAVE DONE THAT OCCASIONALLY, BUT MOST OF THE TIME WE ARE TOLD TO TAKE THAT UP WITH DEP. IT KIND OF LEAVES YOU BTWN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE. TWR WILL NOT GIVE IT TO YOU AND DEP MIGHT NOT ANSWER YOU QUICKLY ENOUGH TO REMAIN LEGAL. BEST THING TO DO AT THE MOMENT IS TO CLB OUT AT A HIGHER RATE OF CLB WITH A LOWER THAN NORMAL AIRSPD UNTIL WE HAVE REACHED SUFFICIENT ALT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION FROM SUPPLEMENTAL RPT #93211 REVEALED: COMPANY THINKS THEY HAVE TO HAVE FLOATATION DEVICE TO GO OVER WATER OF ANY KIND UNDER PART 135. FEEL THEY CANNOT EVEN MAKE APCH TO RWY ON ILS IF IT IS OVERWATER. CLAIMS THIS IS IN THEIR OPS SPECS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.