Originally Posted by
salut0
It seems a bit odd not to carry rafts on all flights, even if they're routes over land: isn't it possible that the plane might end up flying over water or at least ditching in a lake or river in case of an emergency (eg. US Airways into the Hudson River)?
You could always equip every aircraft for every conceivable emergency, but it's not uncommon to find risk assessments at work. For example, many aircraft don't have lifejackets on board if they're only operating overland flights (eg - IIRC - many US domestic flights, which instruct you to use the seat cushion as a flotation aid). Not carrying rafts on some flights which are not planned to have extended overwater periods is something which - again, IIRC - QF also does in some cases.