Aircraft
Certification Service Washington, DC U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration
NM-09-27
May 12, 2009
This is information only. Recommendations
aren’t mandatory.
Introduction
This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) alerts you,
owners and operators of Boeing 747 series airplanes with a Class E
cargo compartment on the main deck of the airplane that carry
non-crewmembers (known as “supernumeraries”), of the equipment and
conditions that are generally required on airplanes when supernumerary
access into the Class E cargo compartment is desired during flight.
Class E cargo compartments may be installed on, but not limited to, the
following aircraft, either as originally delivered from the
manufacturers, or on airplanes converted from passenger operations to
freight operations after delivery that use Exemption 1870 as a basis
for the approval to carry supernumeraries:
Boeing 747-100, 747-100B, 747-100B SUD, 747-200B, 747-200C, 747-200F, 747-400, 747-400F
Background
Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 25.857(e)), limits
airplanes that have Class E cargo compartments to the carriage of cargo
only. This limits the airplane to flight crewmembers only. The major
reason that these airplanes are limited to flight crew only is because
of the fire fighting method used to fight an in-flight fire. The
industry standard fire fighting procedure for Class E cargo
compartments is to shut off airflow to the cargo compartment,
depressurize the airplane, and operate the airplane at an altitude of
at least 20,000 feet. This reduces the available oxygen to a level that
will not support the fire (oxygen starvation). Under these flight
conditions the flight crewmembers will don oxygen until the airplane
lands or the airplane altitude is below 10,000 feet.
The FAA has granted exemptions to permit carriage of supernumeraries on
these cargo airplanes, when specific equipment is installed and
specific conditions are met. One of the typical conditions is that the
supernumeraries do not access the Class E cargo compartment during
taxi, takeoff, flight, and landing, as noted by placards and/or
airplane flight manual (AFM) limitations. The FAA, however, has also
granted exemptions that do allow supernumerary access to the Class E
cargo compartment during flight, again when specific additional
requirements are met. There is at least one exemption, which affects
numerous operators and airplanes that does not specifically prohibit or
permit in-flight access to the Class E cargo compartment by
supernumeraries. Exemption 1870, which is for Boeing 747 series
airplanes, is that exemption. It does not specifically permit, but does
not specifically prohibit, access to the Class E cargo compartment
in-flight by supernumeraries. The petition for exemption did not
specifically address access to the Class E cargo compartment in flight,
and therefore this issue was not addressed. Therefore, the exemption
does not include the specific additional requirements that have been
included in later exemptions for other airplane models where access was
requested and granted, but with additional requirements.
We have become aware that there may be some confusion on the part of
owners and operators concerning what type of equipment and approval
they should have for allowing supernumerary access into the Class E
cargo compartment during flight on 747 series airplanes.
Class E cargo compartments are usually remote from the flight deck and
encompass the entire interior of the airplane. These Class E cargo
compartments do not have the systems and equipment typically found in
passenger compartments, e.g., automatically presented oxygen masks.
As noted above, the industry standard fire fighting procedure for Class
E cargo compartments is to shut off airflow to the cargo compartment,
depressurize the airplane, and operate the airplane at an altitude of
at least 20,000 feet. This will reduce the available oxygen to a level
that will not support the fire (oxygen starvation). The flight crew
dons oxygen masks and continues to use them until the airplane lands or
the airplane altitude is below 10,000 feet.
There are additional hazards associated with entering the cargo
compartment—including cargo shifting, occupant injury due to contacting
the cargo that does not meet the requirements for injurious objects in
a passenger cabin, protection from decompression, and protection from
smoke/fire conditions.
Nonetheless, the FAA understands that some operators on some flights
desire to have access to the Class E cargo compartment. Carriage of
live animals is a frequent type of operation that requires access to
the Class E cargo compartment in flight. However, other types of cargo
(e.g., perishable or hazardous) also may require in-flight monitoring
and may present different potential hazards.
With the installation of, or requirement for, proper equipment, alerts,
training, briefings, and procedures, an acceptable level of safety can
be provided for the supernumeraries entering the Class E cargo
compartment.
The following are areas of concern that have been addressed when
exemptions have allowed supernumeraries’ access to the Class E cargo
compartment in-flight.
Cargo compartments do not
and should not have oxygen systems installed in them for the
supernumeraries to use when in the cargo compartment because this would
provide a source of oxygen in the cargo compartment. Since the method
used to control fires in Class E cargo compartments is oxygen
starvation, an installed oxygen system would provide a potential oxygen
source to feed the fire. However, the supernumeraries, under some
conditions such as decompression, need to have a supply of oxygen
immediately available to them when they are in the cargo compartment.
This can be accomplished by requiring the supernumeraries to carry
portable oxygen units with them when entering the cargo compartment.
Operators should also ensure that the supernumeraries are properly
trained in the use of the portable equipment.
Cargo compartments do not
have automatically presented oxygen masks which would serve to alert
the supernumeraries that they need to don oxygen. Therefore, an
alternate method of signaling the supernumeraries when to don the
oxygen equipment should be provided. The signal needs to be automatic
because in the event of a decompression the flight crew workload will
be high (donning their own oxygen masks and flying the airplane). An
appropriate signal and pre-flight briefing as to what the signal is and
what the supernumeraries should do in response to the signal provides
an acceptable level of protection.
Cargo compartments do not
have fasten seat belt signs to alert supernumeraries to return to their
seats and fasten their seat belt when there is turbulence. Furthermore,
the cargo compartment does not comply with the requirements to protect
occupants from injurious objects when they are moving about the
compartment as is required for the passenger compartment. To provide an
acceptable level of safety for the supernumeraries when they are in the
cargo compartment, a signal needs to be provided to warn the
supernumeraries of turbulence and the need for them to return to their
seats. An appropriate signal and pre-flight briefing would provide an
acceptable level of safety.
Cargo compartments are
required to have automatic smoke/fire detectors installed to alert the
flight crew of smoke/fire in the cargo compartment. After the flight
crew is alerted to smoke/fire in the cargo compartment they should take
actions associated with controlling the fire. These actions include
shutting off airflow to the cargo compartment, depressurizing the
airplane, and operating the airplane at an altitude of at least 20,000
feet. Cargo compartments do not have a way to signal the
supernumeraries that there is smoke/fire in the cargo compartment and
that they need to return to there seats. An appropriate signal and
pre-flight briefing would provide an acceptable level of safety.
A placard located in the
supernumerary area, in a conspicuous location either on or adjacent to
the smoke barrier, should indicate the following for access to the
Class E cargo compartment. The pre-flight briefing should inform
supernumeraries of these requirements:
Access is limited to the care and handling of animals and cargo only.
Access is limited to a maximum of three supernumeraries when carrying cargo only.
When operation includes the
carriage of large live animals that require in-flight care more that
three supernumeraries may be carried. This type of operation includes a
cargo of only live animal that require in-flight care, or mixed cargo
including live animals that require in-flight care.
The smoke barrier should be
secured (i.e., the door or curtain should be closed) except when
entering or leaving the cargo compartment.
A portable oxygen bottle
(with mask attached) should be carried at all times by each
supernumerary when accessing the cargo compartment.
Smoking is not allowed within the cargo compartment.
The compartment should not be entered in case of fire/smoke being detected inside the Class E cargo compartment.
Recommendations
We recommend that owners and operators ensure that the systems,
equipment, training, pre-flight briefings and procedures discussed in
the areas of concern above are provided to the supernumeraries for all
operations during which supernumeraries will be entering the Class E
cargo compartment in flight.
For Further Information Contact
Jayson Claar, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate,
Transport Standards Staff, Airframe/Cabin Safety Branch, 1601 Lind
Avenue SW., Renton, Washington 98057-3356; telephone (425) 227-2194;
fax: (425) 227-1149; email: jayson.claar@faa.gov