What equipment is required for each occupant during extended overwater operations?

In the context of extended overwater operations, the requirement for each occupant to have a life preserver with an approved survivor locator light is crucial for enhancing survival rates in the event of an emergency landing on water. A life preserver provides buoyancy, keeping the occupant afloat, while the locator light significantly increases visibility, allowing rescuers to locate individuals more easily in dark or low-visibility conditions. This equipment is especially vital in scenarios where an aircraft may ditch in the ocean, as it ensures that all crew and passengers have the necessary means to stay afloat and signal for help.

The other options, while possibly useful in various scenarios, do not address the immediate life-preserving needs of individuals at risk in an overwater context as effectively as a life preserver with a locator light does. A navigation device could assist with locating land or a safe route but does not directly contribute to survival once in the water. An oxygen tank is relevant mainly at high altitudes and does not apply within the overwater context, while a set of emergency flares, while helpful for signaling distress, does not aid in basic survival in the water like a life preserver does. Thus, the requirement for a life preserver with an approved survivor locator light is both logical and