Aircraft
Certification Service Washington, DC U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration
SW-19-15
August 14, 2019
This is information only. Recommendations
aren’t mandatory.
Introduction
This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) notifies all
registered helicopter owners and operators of helicopters that are
compliant with the crash resistant seats and structure (CRSS) safety
standards of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Part
27 through Amendment 27-25 or Part 29 through Amendment 29-29 or later.
Non-CRSS compliant helicopters do not warrant airworthiness directive
(AD) action under 14 CFR part 39. However, operating a helicopter with
CRSS reduces the risk of blunt force trauma injury and improves
occupant survivability in an accident.
Background
On December 13, 1989, more stringent CRSS became a regulatory
requirement via Amendment 27-25 of 14 CFR Part 27 and Amendment 29-29
of 14 CFR Part 29. The amendments include §§ 27.561, 27.562,
27.785, 29.561, 29.562, and 29.785. The regulations apply to newly
type-certificated rotorcraft. Since the regulations are not
retroactive, no requirement exists to incorporate their requirements
into the existing fleet. The regulations also do not apply to newly
manufactured rotorcraft if the rotorcraft are produced under a type
design that existed before the regulations became effective on December
13, 1989.
The design requirements included in Part 27 at Amendment 27-25 and Part
29 at Amendment 29-29 increase survivability in the event of a crash by
increasing the protection to occupants from excessive vertical and
longitudinal impact loads. These requirements also improve
survivability by addressing the occupant’s secondary impact with the
rotorcraft’s structure, as well as items of mass that may become loose
on impact. The design requirements are based in part on the data and
conclusions in Report No. DOT/FAA/CT-85/11. The report indicates
occupants may be protected by seat designs that use energy management
or dissipation and by proper occupant restraint.
Recommendations
The FAA recommends owners and operators understand the level of crash
resistance for the seats and structure provided by their helicopters.
The FAA maintains a list (Table 1) of helicopters compliant with the
full CRSS safety standards of 14 CFR Part 27 through Amendment 27-25 or
later and Part 29 through Amendment 29-29 or later at the following
website: https://www.faa.gov/aircraft/air_cert/design_approvals/rotorcraft/media/rot_CRSS_Compliant_List.pdf
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