523 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 27.807 

must meet the requirements of this 
section and §§ 27.807(d), 27.1411 and 
27.1415. 

(b) Each practicable design measure, 

compatible with the general character-
istics of the rotorcraft, must be taken 
to minimize the probability that in an 
emergency landing on water, the be-
havior of the rotorcraft would cause 
immediate injury to the occupants or 
would make it impossible for them to 
escape. 

(c) The probable behavior of the 

rotorcraft in a water landing must be 
investigated by model tests or by com-
parison with rotorcraft of similar con-
figuration for which the ditching char-
acteristics are known. Scoops, flaps, 
projections, and any other factor likely 
to affect the hydrodynamic character-
istics of the rotorcraft must be consid-
ered. 

(d) It must be shown that, under rea-

sonably probable water conditions, the 
flotation time and trim of the rotor-
craft will allow the occupants to leave 
the rotorcraft and enter the life rafts 
required by § 27.1415. If compliance with 
this provision is shown by buoyancy 
and trim computations, appropriate al-
lowances must be made for probable 
structural damage and leakage. If the 
rotorcraft has fuel tanks (with fuel jet-
tisoning provisions) that can reason-
ably be expected to withstand a ditch-
ing without leakage, the jettisonable 
volume of fuel may be considered as 
buoyancy volume. 

(e) Unless the effects of the collapse 

of external doors and windows are ac-
counted for in the investigation of the 
probable behavior of the rotorcraft in a 
water landing (as prescribed in para-
graphs (c) and (d) of this section), the 
external doors and windows must be 
designed to withstand the probable 
maximum local pressures. 

[Amdt. 27–11, 41 FR 55469, Dec. 20, 1976] 

§ 27.805

Flight crew emergency exits. 

(a) For rotorcraft with passenger 

emergency exits that are not conven-
ient to the flight crew, there must be 
flight crew emergency exits, on both 
sides of the rotorcraft or as a top hatch 
in the flight crew area. 

(b) Each flight crew emergency exit 

must be of sufficient size and must be 
located so as to allow rapid evacuation 

of the flight crew. This must be shown 
by test. 

(c) Each flight crew emergency exit 

must not be obstructed by water or flo-
tation devices after an emergency 
landing on water. This must be shown 
by test, demonstration, or analysis. 

[Doc. No. 29247, 64 FR 45094, Aug. 18, 1999] 

§ 27.807

Emergency exits. 

(a) 

Number and location. (1) There 

must be at least one emergency exit on 
each side of the cabin readily acces-
sible to each passenger. One of these 
exits must be usable in any probable 
attitude that may result from a crash; 

(2) Doors intended for normal use 

may also serve as emergency exits, pro-
vided that they meet the requirements 
of this section; and 

(3) If emergency flotation devices are 

installed, there must be an emergency 
exit accessible to each passenger on 
each side of the cabin that is shown by 
test, demonstration, or analysis to; 

(i) Be above the waterline; and 
(ii) Open without interference from 

flotation devices, whether stowed or 
deployed. 

(b) 

Type and operation. Each emer-

gency exit prescribed by paragraph (a) 
of this section must— 

(1) Consist of a movable window or 

panel, or additional external door, pro-
viding an unobstructed opening that 
will admit a 19-by 26-inch ellipse; 

(2) Have simple and obvious methods 

of opening, from the inside and from 
the outside, which do not require ex-
ceptional effort; 

(3) Be arranged and marked so as to 

be readily located and opened even in 
darkness; and 

(4) Be reasonably protected from 

jamming by fuselage deformation. 

(c) 

Tests.  The proper functioning of 

each emergency exit must be shown by 
test. 

(d) 

Ditching emergency exits for pas-

sengers.  If certification with ditching 
provisions is requested, the markings 
required by paragraph (b)(3) of this sec-
tion must be designed to remain visible 
if the rotorcraft is capsized and the 
cabin is submerged. 

[Doc. No. 29247, 64 FR 45094, Aug. 18, 1999] 

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