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14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 27.951 

drive system associated with critical 
combinations of power, rotational 
speed, and control displacement. 

[Amdt. 27–1, 32 FR 6914, May 5, 1967, as 
amended by Amdt. 27–11, 41 FR 55469, Dec. 20, 
1976] 

F

UEL

S

YSTEM

 

§ 27.951

General. 

(a) Each fuel system must be con-

structed and arranged to ensure a flow 
of fuel at a rate and pressure estab-
lished for proper engine functioning 
under any likely operating condition, 
including the maneuvers for which cer-
tification is requested. 

(b) Each fuel system must be ar-

ranged so that— 

(1) No fuel pump can draw fuel from 

more than one tank at a time; or 

(2) There are means to prevent intro-

ducing air into the system. 

(c) Each fuel system for a turbine en-

gine must be capable of sustained oper-
ation throughout its flow and pressure 
range with fuel initially saturated with 
water at 80 

°

F. and having 0.75cc of free 

water per gallon added and cooled to 
the most critical condition for icing 
likely to be encountered in operation. 

[Doc. No. 5074, 29 FR 15695, Nov. 24, 1964, as 
amended by Amdt. 27–9, 39 FR 35461, Oct. 1, 
1974] 

§ 27.952

Fuel system crash resistance. 

Unless other means acceptable to the 

Administrator are employed to mini-
mize the hazard of fuel fires to occu-
pants following an otherwise surviv-
able impact (crash landing), the fuel 
systems must incorporate the design 
features of this section. These systems 
must be shown to be capable of sus-
taining the static and dynamic decel-
eration loads of this section, consid-
ered as ultimate loads acting alone, 
measured at the system component’s 
center of gravity, without structural 
damage to system components, fuel 
tanks, or their attachments that would 
leak fuel to an ignition source. 

(a) 

Drop test requirements. Each tank, 

or the most critical tank, must be 
drop-tested as follows: 

(1) The drop height must be at least 

50 feet. 

(2) The drop impact surface must be 

nondeforming. 

(3) The tank must be filled with 

water to 80 percent of the normal, full 
capacity. 

(4) The tank must be enclosed in a 

surrounding structure representative 
of the installation unless it can be es-
tablished that the surrounding struc-
ture is free of projections or other de-
sign features likely to contribute to 
rupture of the tank. 

(5) The tank must drop freely and im-

pact in a horizontal position 

±

10

°

(6) After the drop test, there must be 

no leakage. 

(b) 

Fuel tank load factors. Except for 

fuel tanks located so that tank rupture 
with fuel release to either significant 
ignition sources, such as engines, heat-
ers, and auxiliary power units, or occu-
pants is extremely remote, each fuel 
tank must be designed and installed to 
retain its contents under the following 
ultimate inertial load factors, acting 
alone. 

(1) For fuel tanks in the cabin: 
(i) Upward—4g. 
(ii) Forward—16g. 
(iii) Sideward—8g. 
(iv) Downward—20g. 
(2) For fuel tanks located above or 

behind the crew or passenger compart-
ment that, if loosened, could injure an 
occupant in an emergency landing: 

(i) Upward—1.5g. 
(ii) Forward—8g. 
(iii) Sideward—2g. 
(iv) Downward—4g. 
(3) For fuel tanks in other areas: 
(i) Upward—1.5g. 
(ii) Forward—4g. 
(iii) Sideward—2g. 
(iv) Downward—4g. 
(c) 

Fuel line self-sealing breakaway 

couplings.  Self-sealing breakaway cou-
plings must be installed unless haz-
ardous relative motion of fuel system 
components to each other or to local 
rotorcraft structure is demonstrated to 
be extremely improbable or unless 
other means are provided. The cou-
plings or equivalent devices must be 
installed at all fuel tank-to-fuel line 
connections, tank-to-tank intercon-
nects, and at other points in the fuel 
system where local structural deforma-
tion could lead to the release of fuel. 

(1) The design and construction of 

self-sealing breakaway couplings must 

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