Emergency equipment requirements
The equipment a transport aeroplane must carry comes from the certification code (CS-25), the operating rules (EASA Air OPS Part-CAT, or in India the CAR Section 8 operations requirements) and specific CARs such as CAR Section 2, Series X, Part III — Medical supplies in aircraft. The engineer's job is to make sure every item is present, in the right place, in date and serviceable, as shown on the aircraft's emergency-equipment layout.
| Item | Typical requirement |
|---|---|
| Hand fire extinguishers (CS 25.851) | At least one on the flight deck; in the cabin 1 for 7–30 seats, 2 for 31–60, 3 for 61–200, 4 for 201–300, 5 for 301–400, 6 for 401–500, 7 for 501–600, 8 for 601–700 |
| Crash axe / crowbar | One on the flight deck; another near the rearmost galley in aeroplanes with more than 200 seats |
| Megaphones | One for 61–99 passengers, two for 100 or more |
| First-aid kits (India: CAR 2-X-III) | 1 kit per 100 passengers or part: 0–100 → 1, 101–200 → 2, … more than 500 → 6 |
| Medical kit | Where more than 100 passengers are carried on a sector of more than two hours (India); an automated external defibrillator may be carried on risk assessment |
| Universal precaution kit | One where cabin crew are required (two above 250 passengers) |
| Protective breathing equipment (PBE) | For each flight-crew member and portable units for the cabin crew, near the hand extinguishers; about 15 minutes of breathing protection |
| Life jackets, rafts, survival ELT | For overwater operations: a life jacket for each person (infant devices too) and, on long overwater flights, life rafts or slide-rafts and a survival ELT |
| Other | Torches for cabin crew, safety cards, first-aid oxygen, smoke hoods, fire gloves, emergency lighting (Chapter 17) and slides (Chapter 4) |
Typical checks: present and secured in its bracket; seals and tamper indicators intact; pressure gauges in the green or weight within limits (extinguishers, oxygen); expiry dates (first-aid kit contents, life jackets, PBE, batteries, cartridges); overhaul/hydrostatic test dates; placards and location markings visible. A missing or unserviceable item is dealt with under the MEL, which may limit the number of passengers.
Seats, harnesses and belts
- Passenger seats are approved to ETSO/TSO-C127 and dynamically tested (the "16 g" seat, CS 25.562). They attach to the seat tracks with locking track fittings, have a baggage restraint bar, lap belts with metal-to-metal buckles (some with inflatable airbag belts), recline mechanisms, tray tables, armrests (aisle armrests lift for access) and often in-flight-entertainment boxes. Seat pitch and position are fixed by the LOPA.
- Cabin-crew (attendant) seats are next to floor-level exits, have a full shoulder harness, and are normally self-stowing — the seat pan folds up automatically so it never obstructs the exit or the aisle.
- Flight-crew seats adjust fore-aft, vertically and in recline (manually or electrically) and have a five-point harness: lap belts, two shoulder straps on an inertia reel that locks under sudden deceleration (or manually), and a crotch strap.
- Inspect belts and harnesses for fraying, cuts, contamination, buckle function and correct labels; repair is by replacement with approved parts only. Seats are checked for security, structural damage, recline lock function and the condition of fire-blocking covers.
Cabin and equipment layout
The LOPA shows every seat (and its pitch), galley, lavatory, closet, class divider, cabin-crew seat and the stowage of every item of emergency equipment. It must keep the required access to exits (minimum aisle and passageway widths, clear areas at the exits) and the passenger-to-exit and passenger-to-crew relationships. A new LOPA, such as adding a row of seats or moving a galley, is a modification requiring approved data and an update to the weight-and-balance and emergency-equipment documentation.
Cabin furnishing installation
- Overhead stowage bins — attached to the structure with tie-rods and fittings, with latches and placarded maximum loads; bins must hold their contents under the emergency-landing loads.
- Ceiling and sidewall panels, partitions, closets and class dividers — lightweight honeycomb sandwich (often Nomex/phenolic) with decorative laminates.
- Carpets, curtains and seat covers — all subject to flammability limits; seat cushions have fire-blocking layers.
- Lavatories — modular units with smoke detectors, an automatic fire extinguisher in the waste bin, "no smoking" placards (and, by rule, an ashtray outside the door), and connections to water and waste systems (Chapter 18).
- Insulation blankets behind the linings provide thermal and acoustic insulation and must meet flame-propagation and burn-through requirements.
Flammability of furnishing materials
CS 25.853 and Appendix F (FAR 25 Appendix F, adopted in India by CAR Section 2, Series X, Part IV) set the tests:
| Material | Test | Typical pass criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Ceiling and wall panels, partitions, galley structure, stowage compartments | 60-second vertical burn | Average burn length ≤ 6 in; after-flame ≤ 15 s; drips ≤ 3 s |
| Floor coverings, textiles, seat covers, padding, ducting, trays | 12-second vertical burn | Burn length ≤ 8 in; after-flame ≤ 15 s; drips ≤ 5 s |
| Acrylic windows and signs, small parts | Horizontal burn | Burn rate ≤ 2.5 in/min (4 in/min for some small parts) |
| Seat cushions | Oil-burner test (fire blocking) | Burn length ≤ 17 in; weight loss ≤ 10 % |
| Large interior panels (aircraft with 20 or more seats) | Heat release and smoke density | Heat release 65/65 (kW·min/m² and kW/m²); smoke optical density ≤ 200 |
Replacement furnishings must come from approved sources with evidence of compliance; locally made curtains or covers from unapproved fabric are not acceptable.
Galley installation
- Galleys are attached to floor fittings (often seat tracks) and to ceiling tie-rods, and with all their contents must withstand the emergency-landing loads (CS 25.789 — restraint of items of mass, 9 g forward).
- Inserts — ovens, water boilers, coffee makers, chillers, waste compactors — slide into standard bays and connect to galley electrical power (from the galley buses, which are load-shed first), potable water and drains.
- Trolleys (carts) have foot brakes, stow behind latches or turn-buttons, and carry maximum-weight placards. Broken latches are a classic defect: a loose trolley is a projectile.
- Galley circuit breakers and water shut-off valves are within reach of the cabin crew; galley drains discharge through heated drain masts (Chapter 18).
Cargo compartments, handling and retention
| Class (CS 25.857) | Features |
|---|---|
| A | Small, accessible to the crew in flight; a fire would be easily discovered by a crew member at their station |
| B | Accessible in flight so a crew member can reach any part with a hand extinguisher; smoke or fire detection |
| C | Not accessible in flight: approved smoke/fire detection, a built-in fire-extinguishing or suppression system, ventilation control and means to keep smoke, flames and agent out of occupied areas — the typical lower-deck hold |
| E | Cargo-only aircraft (main deck): detection, a means to shut off ventilation, and protection of the flight-crew compartment |
- Cargo liners — fire-resistant panels lining Class C compartments contain a fire and hold the extinguishing agent concentration. Damaged or holed liners must be repaired with approved patches; a hole lets fire reach the structure and the agent escape.
- Retention — ULD locks and guides (Chapter 4), cargo nets and barrier nets for bulk holds, tie-down fittings, and floor-loading limits (kg/m² and per position). Cargo must be restrained against the 9 g forward emergency load.
- Handling equipment — roller trays, ball mats and PDUs for containerised holds; bulk holds are loaded by hand from belt loaders.
Airstairs
Some aircraft carry their own airstairs so that they can operate at airports without ground steps: a folding forward airstair under the entry door (an option on some narrow-bodies), a ventral airstair under the rear fuselage (DC-9/MD-80 family), or door-mounted stairs on business and regional aircraft. They are extended and retracted electrically or hydraulically from controls inside and outside the aircraft, with interlocks (for example the door must be open) and a standby or manual mode. Maintenance covers the actuators, locks, handrails, steps and lighting.