137
Federal Aviation Administration, DOT
§ 121.337
period for at least 10 percent of the pas-
senger cabin occupants.
(2) When an airplane is operated at
flight altitudes up to and including
flight level 250 and cannot descend
safely to a flight altitude of 14,000 feet
within four minutes, or when an air-
plane is operated at flight altitudes
above flight level 250, oxygen must be
available at the rate prescribed by this
part for not less than 10 percent of the
passenger cabin occupants for the en-
tire flight after cabin depressurization,
at cabin pressure altitudes above 10,000
feet up to and including 14,000 feet and,
as applicable, to allow compliance with
§ 121.329(c) (2) and (3), except that there
must be not less than a 10-minute sup-
ply for the passenger cabin occupants.
(3) For first-aid treatment of occu-
pants who for physiological reasons
might require undiluted oxygen fol-
lowing descent from cabin pressure al-
titudes above flight level 250, a supply
of oxygen in accordance with the re-
quirements of § 25.1443(d) must be pro-
vided for two percent of the occupants
for the entire flight after cabin depres-
surization at cabin pressure altitudes
above 8,000 feet, but in no case to less
than one person. An appropriate num-
ber of acceptable dispensing units, but
in no case less than two, must be pro-
vided, with a means for the cabin at-
tendants to use this supply.
(f)
Passenger briefing.
Before flight is
conducted above flight level 250, a
crewmember shall instruct the pas-
sengers on the necessity of using oxy-
gen in the event of cabin depressuriza-
tion and shall point out to them the lo-
cation and demonstrate the use of the
oxygen-dispensing equipment.
[Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19205, Dec. 31, 1964, as
amended by Amdt. 121–11, 30 FR 12466, Sept.
30, 1965; Amdt. 121–132, 41 FR 55475, Dec. 20,
1976; Amdt. 121–262, 62 FR 13256, Mar. 19, 1997;
62 FR 15570, Apr. 1, 1997; Amdt. 121–306, 69 FR
62789, Oct. 27, 2004; Amdt. 121–383, 85 FR 16900,
Mar. 25, 2020]
§ 121.335 Equipment standards.
(a)
Reciprocating engine powered air-
planes.
The oxygen apparatus, the min-
imum rates of oxygen flow, and the
supply of oxygen necessary to comply
with § 121.327 must meet the standards
established in section 4b.651 of the Civil
Air Regulations as in effect on July 20,
1950, except that if the certificate hold-
er shows full compliance with those
standards to be impracticable, the Ad-
ministrator may authorize any change
in those standards that he finds will
provide an equivalent level of safety.
(b)
Turbine engine powered airplanes.
The oxygen apparatus, the minimum
rate of oxygen flow, and the supply of
oxygen necessary to comply with
§§ 121.329 and 121.333 must meet the
standards established in section 4b.651
of the Civil Air Regulations as in effect
on September 1, 1958, except that if the
certificate holder shows full compli-
ance with those standards to be im-
practicable, the Administrator may au-
thorize any changes in those standards
that he finds will provide an equivalent
level of safety.
§ 121.337 Protective breathing equip-
ment.
(a) The certificate holder shall fur-
nish approved protective breathing
equipment (PBE) meeting the equip-
ment, breathing gas, and communica-
tion requirements contained in para-
graph (b) of this section.
(b)
Pressurized and nonpressurized
cabin airplanes.
Except as provided in
paragraph (f) of this section, no person
may operate an airplane unless protec-
tive breathing equipment meeting the
requirements of this section is provided
as follows:
(1)
General.
The equipment must pro-
tect the flightcrew from the effects of
smoke, carbon dioxide or other harmful
gases or an oxygen deficient environ-
ment caused by other than an airplane
depressurization while on flight deck
duty and must protect crewmembers
from the above effects while combat-
ting fires on board the airplane.
(2) The equipment must be inspected
regularly in accordance with inspec-
tion guidelines and the inspection peri-
ods established by the equipment man-
ufacturer to ensure its condition for
continued serviceability and imme-
diate readiness to perform its intended
emergency purposes. The inspection pe-
riods may be changed upon a showing
by the certificate holder that the
changes would provide an equivalent
level of safety.
(3) That part of the equipment pro-
tecting the eyes must not impair the
138
14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition)
§ 121.337
wearer’s vision to the extent that a
crewmember’s duties cannot be accom-
plished and must allow corrective
glasses to be worn without impairment
of vision or loss of the protection re-
quired by paragraph (b)(1) of this sec-
tion.
(4) The equipment, while in use, must
allow the flightcrew to communicate
using the airplane radio equipment and
to communicate by interphone with
each other while at their assigned duty
stations. The equipment, while in use,
must also allow crewmember inter-
phone communications between each of
two flight crewmember stations in the
pilot compartment and at least one
normal flight attendant station in each
passenger compartment.
(5) The equipment, while in use, must
allow any crewmember to use the air-
plane interphone system at any of the
flight attendant stations referred to in
paragraph (b)(4) of this section.
(6) The equipment may also be used
to meet the supplemental oxygen re-
quirements of this part provided it
meets the oxygen equipment standards
of § 121.335 of this part.
(7) Protective breathing gas duration
and supply system equipment require-
ments are as follows:
(i) The equipment must supply
breathing gas for 15 minutes at a pres-
sure altitude of 8,000 feet for the fol-
lowing:
(A) Flight crewmembers while per-
forming flight deck duties; and
(B) Crewmembers while combatting
an in-flight fire.
(ii) The breathing gas system must
be free from hazards in itself, in its
method of operation, and in its effect
upon other components.
(iii) For breathing gas systems other
than chemical oxygen generators,
there must be a means to allow the
crew to readily determine, during the
equipment preflight described in para-
graph (c) of this section, that the gas
supply is fully charged.
(iv) For each chemical oxygen gener-
ator, the supply system equipment
must meet the requirements of § 25.1450
(b) and (c) of this chapter.
(8)
Smoke and fume protection.
Protec-
tive breathing equipment with a fixed
or portable breathing gas supply meet-
ing the requirements of this section
must be conveniently located on the
flight deck and be easily accessible for
immediate use by each required flight
crewmember at his or her assigned
duty station.
(9)
Fire combatting.
Except for non-
transport category airplanes type cer-
tificated after December 31, 1964, pro-
tective breathing equipment with a
portable breathing gas supply meeting
the requirements of this section must
be easily accessible and conveniently
located for immediate use by crew-
members in combatting fires as fol-
lows:
(i) One PBE is required for each hand
fire extinguisher located for use in a
galley other than a galley located in a
passenger, cargo, or crew compart-
ment.
(ii) One on the flight deck, except
that the Administrator may authorize
another location for this PBE if special
circumstances exist that make compli-
ance impractical and the proposed de-
viation would provide an equivalent
level of safety.
(iii) In each passenger compartment,
one for each hand fire extinguisher re-
quired by § 121.309 of this part, to be lo-
cated within 3 feet of each required
hand fire extinguisher, except that the
Administrator may authorize a devi-
ation allowing locations of PBE more
than 3 feet from required hand fire ex-
tinguisher locations if special cir-
cumstances exist that make compli-
ance impractical and if the proposed
deviation provides an equivalent level
of safety.
(c)
Equipment preflight.
(1) Before
each flight, each item of PBE at flight
crewmember duty stations must be
checked by the flight crewmember who
will use the equipment to ensure that
the equipment—
(i) For other than chemical oxygen
generator systems, is functioning, is
serviceable, fits properly (unless a uni-
versal-fit type), and is connected to
supply terminals and that the breath-
ing gas supply and pressure are ade-
quate for use; and
(ii) For chemical oxygen generator
systems, is serviceable and fits prop-
erly (unless a universal-fit type).
(2) Each item of PBE located at other
than a flight crewmember duty station
139
Federal Aviation Administration, DOT
§ 121.340
must be checked by a designated crew-
member to ensure that each is properly
stowed and serviceable, and, for other
than chemical oxygen generator sys-
tems, the breathing gas supply is fully
charged. Each certificate holder, in its
operations manual, must designate at
least one crewmember to perform those
checks before he or she takes off in
that airplane for his or her first flight
of the day.
[Doc. No. 24792, 52 FR 20957, June 3, 1987, as
amended by Amdt. 121–204, 54 FR 22271, May
22, 1989; Amdt. 121–212, 55 FR 5551, Feb. 15,
1990; Amdt. 121–218, 55 FR 31565, Aug. 2, 1990;
Amdt. 121–230, 57 FR 42674, Sept. 15, 1992;
Amdt. 121–251, 60 FR 65932, Dec. 20, 1995;
Amdt. 121–261, 61 FR 43921, Aug. 26, 1996]
§ 121.339 Emergency equipment for ex-
tended over-water operations.
(a) Except where the Administrator,
by amending the operations specifica-
tions of the certificate holder, requires
the carriage of all or any specific items
of the equipment listed below for any
overwater operation, or upon applica-
tion of the certificate holder, the Ad-
ministrator allows deviation for a par-
ticular extended overwater operation,
no person may operate an airplane in
extended overwater operations without
having on the airplane the following
equipment:
(1) A life preserver equipped with an
approved survivor locator light, for
each occupant of the airplane.
(2) Enough life rafts (each equipped
with an approved survivor locator
light) of a rated capacity and buoyancy
to accommodate the occupants of the
airplane. Unless excess rafts of enough
capacity are provided, the buoyancy
and seating capacity beyond the rated
capacity of the rafts must accommo-
date all occupants of the airplane in
the event of a loss of one raft of the
largest rated capacity.
(3) At least one pyrotechnic signaling
device for each life raft.
(4) An approved survival type emer-
gency locator transmitter. Batteries
used in this transmitter must be re-
placed (or recharged, if the battery is
rechargeable) when the transmitter has
been in use for more than 1 cumulative
hour, or when 50 percent of their useful
life (or for rechargeable batteries, 50
percent of their useful life of charge)
has expired, as established by the
transmitter manufacturer under its ap-
proval. The new expiration date for re-
placing (or recharging) the battery
must be legibly marked on the outside
of the transmitter. The battery useful
life (or useful life of charge) require-
ments of this paragraph do not apply
to batteries (such as water-activated
batteries) that are essentially unaf-
fected during probable storage inter-
vals.
(b) The required life rafts, life pre-
servers, and survival type emergency
locator transmitter must be easily ac-
cessible in the event of a ditching with-
out appreciable time for preparatory
procedures. This equipment must be in-
stalled in conspicuously marked, ap-
proved locations.
(c) A survival kit, appropriately
equipped for the route to be flown,
must be attached to each required life
raft.
[Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19205, Dec. 31, 1964, as
amended by Amdt. 121–53, 34 FR 15244, Sept.
30, 1969; Amdt. 121–79, 36 FR 18724, Sept. 21,
1971; Amdt. 121–93, 37 FR 14294, June 19, 1972
Amdt. 121–106, 38 FR 22378, Aug. 20, 1973;
Amdt. 121–149, 43 FR 50603, Oct. 30, 1978;
Amdt. 121–158, 45 FR 38348, June 9, 1980;
Amdt. 121–239, 59 FR 32057, June 21, 1994]
§ 121.340 Emergency flotation means.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph
(b) of this section, no person may oper-
ate an airplane in any overwater oper-
ation unless it is equipped with life
preservers in accordance with
§ 121.339(a)(1) or with an approved flota-
tion means for each occupant. This
means must be within easy reach of
each seated occupant and must be read-
ily removable from the airplane.
(b) Upon application by the air car-
rier or commercial operator, the Ad-
ministrator may approve the operation
of an airplane over water without the
life preservers or flotation means re-
quired by paragraph (a) of this section,
if the air carrier or commercial oper-
ator shows that the water over which
the airplane is to be operated is not of
such size and depth that life preservers
or flotation means would be required
for the survival of its occupants in the