VTOL.2315 Means of egress and emergency exits
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(a) The aircraft must be designed to:
(1) Facilitate rapid and safe evacuation of the aircraft in conditions likely to occur following an emergency landing, including on water if an emergency flotation system is included.
(2) Have means of egress (openings, exits or emergency exits) that can be readily located and opened from the inside and outside. The means of opening must be simple and obvious. If an emergency flotation system is included, the means of egress must be above the water in the intended floating attitude. Additionally, if certification for ditching is requested, the means of egress must be usable in all stable floating attitudes.
(i) If certification with emergency flotation provisions or limited overwater operations is requested, there should be an emergency exit accessible to each passenger on each side of the cabin with the aircraft in any stable floating attitude. If submerged, the emergency exit must be identified as an underwater emergency exit and shall be shown by test, demonstration, or analysis to be accessible and operable underwater to give each occupant every reasonable chance of escaping.
(ii) If certification with ditching is requested, underwater emergency exits must be provided and shall be proven by test, demonstration, or analysis to provide for rapid escape with the aircraft in any stable floating attitude.
(3) Have easy access to emergency exits when present.
(b) Reserved.
MOC VTOL.2315(a) Means of egress and emergency exits
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1. Means of egress and emergency exits for Ditching, Emergency Flotation and Limited Overwater Operations3For explanation of overwater operations refer to MOC VTOL.2270(c) “Structural Provisions: Ditching, Emergency Flotation and Limited Overwater Operation”, MOC VTOL.2310(b) Emergency Flotation and MOC VTOL.2310(c) Ditching.
(a) If certification with emergency flotation provisions or limited overwater operations is requested by the applicant, the aircraft should meet the following design criteria:
(1) There should be an emergency exit accessible to each passenger on each side of the cabin with the aircraft in any stable floating attitude.
(2) For aircraft where the proximity of the passenger emergency exits to the flight crew area does not offer a convenient and readily accessible means of evacuation for the flight crew, the following applies:
(i) there should be a flight crew emergency exit on each side of the aircraft, or a top hatch emergency exit in the flight crew area, accessible to the flight crew with the aircraft in any stable floating attitude
(ii) each emergency exit should be located to allow rapid evacuation of the flight crew
(3) Each emergency exit should be reasonably protected from becoming jammed as a result of fuselage deformation.
(4) In addition, for flight crew underwater exits: If flight crew emergency exits are submerged in any stable floating position, these exits should meet the following design criteria:
(i) Each exit should be shown by test, demonstration, or analysis to be accessible and operable underwater. Evaluations should consider ranges of size and strength found in the 5th percentile female to the 95th percentile male.
(ii) Each operational device (pull tab(s), operating handle, ‘push here’ decal, etc.) should be marked with black and yellow stripes.
(iii) The exit should be marked so to be readily located and operated even in darkness, and these markings should remain visible if the cockpit is submerged.
(5) In addition, for passenger underwater exits: If passenger emergency exits are submerged in any stable floating position, these exits should meet the following design criteria:
(i) Each exit should be shown by test, demonstration, or analysis to be accessible and operable underwater to give each occupant every reasonable chance of escaping. Evaluations should consider ranges of size and strength found in the 5th percentile female to the 95th percentile male.
(ii) Each operational marking (pull tab(s), operating handle, ‘push here’ decal, etc.) should be marked with black and yellow stripes.
(iii) The exit should be provided with a suitable handhold, or handholds adjacently located inside the cabin, to assist occupants in locating and operating the exit, as well as in egressing through the emergency exit.
(iv) The exit should be marked so to be readily located and operated even in darkness, and these markings should remain visible if the cabin is submerged.
(6) Additionally, for aircraft fitted with an emergency flotation system (floats):
(i) Each emergency exit, including underwater exits, should be shown by test, demonstration, or analysis to open without interference from flotation devices, whether stowed or deployed, and with the aircraft in any stable floating attitude.
(b) CS 27 Amdt. 5 (or later): AMC 27.805(c) and AMC 27.807(d) provide additional guidance for certification with emergency flotation provisions or limited overwater operations
(c) If certification with ditching provisions is requested by the applicant, the aircraft should meet the following design criteria:
(1) Each emergency exit, including underwater exits, should be reasonably protected from becoming jammed as a result of fuselage deformation.
(2) Any non-jettisonable doors intended for use after a ditching should have means to enable them to be secured in the open position and remain secure for emergency egress in all sea conditions for which ditching capability is requested by the applicant
(3) For Category Enhanced the following is also applicable:
(i) Ditching emergency exits should be provided such that following a ditching, in all sea conditions for which ditching capability is requested by the applicant and in the intended floating attitude, passengers are able to evacuate the aircraft and step directly into any of the required life raft
(ii) It should be possible for each passenger to egress the aircraft via the nearest underwater emergency exit, when capsized, with any door in the open and secured position;
(iii) Means should be provided to assist cross-cabin escape when capsized
(4) In addition, Flight crew emergency exits should meet the following design criteria:
(i) Each exit should be shown by test, demonstration, or analysis to provide for rapid escape in any stable floating attitude. Evaluations should consider ranges of size and strength found in the 5th percentile female to the 95th percentile male.
(ii) The average load required to operate the exit release mechanism and open the exit should not exceed 222N (50 lbf), and the maximum individual load of a test series should not exceed 245N (55 lbf).
(iii) Each operational device (pull tab(s), operating handle, ‘push here’ decal, etc.) should be marked with black and yellow stripes and should be shown to be accessible for the range of required flight crew heights and for both the case of an un-deformed seat and a seat with any deformation resulting from the test conditions required by VTOL.2270(b)(1)
(iv) For Category Enhanced: each exit, its means of access and its means of opening, should be provided with highly conspicuous illuminated markings that illuminate automatically and are designed to remain visible in any stable floating attitude and the cockpit flooded.
(v) For Category Basic: The exit should be marked so to be readily located and operated even in darkness, and these markings should remain visible if the cockpit is submerged
(5) In addition, for passenger underwater exits: Underwater emergency exits should be provided in accordance with the following requirements and should be proven by test, demonstration, or analysis to provide for rapid escape with the aircraft in any stable floating attitude:
(i) One underwater emergency exit, providing an unobstructed opening that will admit a 0.48 m by 0.66 m (19 inch by 26 inch) ellipse, should be installed in each side of the aircraft for each unit (or part of a unit) of four passenger seats. However, the seat-to-exit ratio may be increased for underwater emergency exits large enough to permit the simultaneous egress of twopassengers side by side.
(ii) Passenger seats should be located in relation to the underwater emergency exits in a way to best facilitate escape with the aircraft capsized and the cabin flooded
(iii) Underwater emergency exits, including their means of operation, markings, lighting and accessibility, should be designed for use in a flooded and capsized cabin. Evaluations should consider ranges of size and strength found in the 5th percentile female to the 95th percentile male.
(iv) The average load required to operate the exit release mechanism and open the exit should not exceed 222N (50 lbf), and the maximum individual load of a test series should not exceed 245N (55 lbf).
(v) Each operational marking (pull tab(s), operating handle, ‘push here’ decal, etc.) should be marked with black and yellow stripes.
(vi) The exit should be provided with a suitable handhold, or handholds adjacently located inside the cabin, to assist occupants in locating and operating the exit, as well as in egressing through the emergency exit.
(vii) For Category Enhanced: each exit, its means of access and its means of opening, should be provided with highly conspicuous illuminated markings that illuminate automatically and are designed to remain visible in any stable floating attitude and the cabin flooded.
(viii) For Category Basic: The exit should be marked so to be readily located and operated even in darkness, and these markings should remain visible if the cockpit is submerged
(6) Additionally, for aircraft fitted with an emergency flotation system:
(i) Each emergency exit, including underwater exits, should be shown by test, demonstration, or analysis to open without interference from flotation devices, whether stowed or deployed, and with the aircraft in any stable floating attitude.
(d) CS 27 Amdt. 5 (or later): AMC 27.783, AMC 27.805(c), AMC 27.807(d) and AMC 29.803(c) provide additional guidance for certification with ditching provisions.
VTOL.2320 Occupant physical environment
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(a) The aircraft must be designed to:
(1) allow clear communication between the flight crew and passengers;
(2) protect the occupants against serious injury due to hazards originating from high energy, associated with systems and equipment, including while embarking and disembarking; and
(3) protect the occupants against serious injury due to breakage of windshields, windows, and canopies.
(b) Reserved.
(c) The aircraft must provide each occupant with air at a breathable pressure, free of hazardous concentrations of gases, vapours and smoke during normal operations and likely failures.
(d) Reserved.
(e) If an oxygen system is installed in the aircraft, it must:
(1) effectively provide oxygen to each user to prevent the effects of hypoxia; and
(2) be free from hazards in itself, in its method of operation, and its effect upon other components.
MOC VTOL.2320(a)(1) Clear communication between flight crew and passengers
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(a) CS 23.771(b) Amdt. 4 is accepted as a means of compliance
(b) For those aircraft in which the flight crew members cannot observe the other occupants’ seats or in which the flight crew compartment is separated from the passenger compartment
(1) CS 23.791 Amdt. 4 is accepted as a means of compliance, or
MOC VTOL.2320(a)(2) Occupant physical environment
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A hazard that originates from high energy should be understood to cover all possible serious injury mechanisms involving one or more of the aircraft’s energy sources. This might involve, for example, contact with a high speed rotating part, with a high temperature surface, with a high velocity and/or temperature gas jet, or with an electrically live conductor.
With the aircraft in its normal pre-take-off/post-landing attitude on the ground it should be substantiated that no person in contact with the ground or entering/exiting the aircraft can place any part of their body in a position where serious injury could occur.
This may be achieved by the provision of physical barriers, designed to prevent contact with aircraft parts or reduce the risk of inadvertent movement into dangerous areas, design precautions to prevent the aircraft presenting identified hazards when flight is not intended, or an appropriate combination of both. The complete range of human anthropometry, including children, should be considered.
In the case of physical barrier means, all possible positioning of persons should be considered, without any assumptions of likelihood of a person taking up such a position. However, if full prevention is not feasible, for example against movement into a high velocity and/or temperature gas jet, a partial barrier solution may be acceptable. In such a case, precautions such as highly visible markings, pre-flight briefings to passengers, a requirement for trained ground personnel to be present, etc. might be considered by the Agency to provide a comparable level of safety. Furthermore, the possibility of persons becoming distracted by one potential hazard and moving into another hazardous area, including in the case of darkness, should be considered.
In the case of a design precaution to prevent the presence of high energy at a critical location, the reliability of the precaution should be commensurate with its failure to function as intended being classified as catastrophic. Appropriate mechanical, electrical or software interlocks could form the basis of design precautions, using inputs such as proximity detection of objects around the aircraft, exit locking status, etc. If design precautions based on passivating or shutting down systems are used to protect occupants while entering/exiting the aircraft, these must be supplemented by other design provisions or physical barriers to protect people on the ground.
The chosen means of protection should also cover the case where at the end of flight a passenger immediately opens an exit and egresses the aircraft.
"Serious Injury" should be taken to mean any injury which involves one or more of the following;
(1) hospitalisation for more than 48 hours, commencing within 7 days from the date the injury wasreceived;
(2) a fracture of any bone (except simple fracture of fingers, toes, or nose);
(3) laceration which causes severe haemorrhages, nerve, muscle, or tendondamage;
(4) injury to any internalorgan;
(5) second- or third-degree burns, or any burns affecting more than 5 percent of the body surface; or
(6) verified exposure to infectious substances or harmful radiation.
(Source: ICAO, Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation)
MOC VTOL.2320(a)(3) Occupant protection from breakage of windshields, windows, and canopies
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(a) CS 27.775 Amdt. 5 (or later) is accepted as a means of compliance.
(b) In addition, for Category Enhanced and Category Basic with a maximum seating configuration of 7 or more, the windshield should be evaluated for a single bird strike in accordance with VTOL.2250(f).