AC 121-24E: Passenger Safety Information Briefing and Briefing Cards

Appendix D D-3 Note: Figure D-4 is applicable to aft-facing passenger seats with or without shoulder harness.

D.3.4 Pillows and Blankets. Pa ssengers should not use pillows or blankets between their bodies and the objects against which they are bracing (either a seat back, a bulkhead, or their own body). Pillows and blankets provide little, if any, energy absorption and increase the possibility of secondary impact injury. Also, pillows and blankets could create additional clutter in the aisles which could be a detriment in an emergency evacuation. Refer to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Safety Recommendations A-79-076, A-79-077, and A-79-078.

D.3.5 Children. A child who occupies an approved child restraint system (CRS) should be braced in accordance with its manufacturer’s instructions. Children in passenger seats should utilize the same brace-for-impact positions as adults. Adults holding infants should provide as uniform support as possible to the infant’s head, neck, and body and lean over the infant to minimize the possibility of injury due to flailing.

D.3.6 Pregnant or Handicapped Passengers. Pregnant or handicapped passengers may need the assistance of another person in taking a brace-for-impact position but should, in general, attempt to take the same brace position as the other passengers. If aft-facing passenger seats are available, these passengers may benefit from being located in those seats.

D.4 Flight Attendant (F/A) Positions. Th e brace-for-impact positions for F/As will depend on the direction their jump seats face and type of restraint systems with which those seats are equipped. In all brace-for-impact positions, F/As should wear their seatbelts as tightly and as low on the torso as possible.

D.4.1 Forward-Facing F/A Jump Seats.

D.4.1.1 For seats with an inertial reel-type shoulder harness, the F/As should sit upright, place their chins on their sternums, their hands in their laps, and their feet flat on the floor with their knees bent at about 90 degrees, as shown in Figure D-3.

D.4.1.2 For seats with a manually adjustable shoulder harness, the F/As should tighten their lap and shoulder harnesses as tight as possible, lean against them, place their chins on their sternums, their hands in their laps, and their feet flat on the floor with their knees bent at about 90 degrees, as shown in Figure D-3.

D.4.2 Aft-Faci ng F/A Jump Seats. The F/As should sit upright, place their heads against the headrests, their hands in their laps, and their feet flat on the floor with their knees bent at about 90 degrees, as shown in Figure D-4.

D.5 Other Situations.

D.5.1 Helicopter Passenger and F/A Seats. Helicopter passengers and F/As should adopt the same positions as recommended for aircraft seats of similar orientations and restraint

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Appendix D D-4 system configuration; however, if possible, the occupants of all seat types should grip the edge of the seat pan, to help maintain orientation in the event of a rollover.

D.5.2 Briefing Passengers on Brace-for-Impact Positions During Planned and Unplanned Emergency Landings. When preparing the cabin for a planned emergency landing, the passengers must be briefed on the above information according to the operator’s emergency procedures (refer to 14 CFR part 121, § 121.135(b)(12); par t 125, § 125.73(m); and part 135, § 135.23( m)). In the case of an unplanned emergency landing, the F/As may only have enough time to give a short command, such as “brace for impact,” or “grab your ankles,” or “heads down stay down.” Post-incident interviews with F/As and passengers have shown that, in an attempt to take a brace position of some sort, passengers have ended up in a position postlanding that resulted in less injury than when no attempt was made at all.

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Appendix E E-1 APPENDIX E. SAFETY INFORMATION BRIEFING CARD CONTENT QUICK CHECKLIST: 14 CFR PART 121, § 121.571 AND PART 125, § 125.32717 17 The safety information briefing card checklist may also assist in the development of 14 CFR part 125 or 135 safety cards with some minor modifications (refer to part 125, § 125.327 and part 135, § 135.117).

Passeng er Safety Information Briefing Cards (General):

□ Card must be aircraft specific to the type and model of aircraft.

□ Depict diagram of the common method to operate emergency exits in the emergency mode.

□ Instruction on use of emergency equipment used in emergency egress.

Card Design and Location:

□ Visually accessible and designed so passengers can visually locate and identify the card when seated.

□ Suggest a combination of good pictorial or drawing presentation combined with specific written details such as specific Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) pertaining to exit seating and carry-on baggage.

□ Cards should be interesting and attractive to passengers.

Extraneous Information:

□ Cards should only contain information essential for safety (e.g., no advertisements, route maps, or promotional information).

Content of Cards: (NOTE: all the below should be consistent with current written crew procedures and training.)

□ Advise passengers that they MUST comply with safety instructions including signs, placards, and instructions of the flight attendants.

□ Importance of complying with the seatbelt sign MUST be emphasized.

□ Instructions on fastening, tightening, and opening of seatbelts.

□ Cards should inform passengers that smoking is prohibited in lavatories at any time, unless specifically informed by the crew on specific supplemental flights.

□ Inform passengers about the specifics of the floor proximity emergency lighting.

□ Exiting seats are required to have Passenger Instruction Cards, but we encourage each passenger’s seat to have a card accessible.

□ Exit seating specific information MUST be printed on the cards and in the languages in which the oral briefings and commands are given by the crew.

□ Criteria and information on function of exits by passengers MUST be listed on the cards.

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Appendix E E-2 □ Cards MUST contain a request in the language used by the aircraft operator that a passenger identify himself or herself to allow for reseating if they cannot meet the selection criteria needed to operate an emergency exit.

□ Cards must state that if the passenger has a condition that will prevent them from performing the functions listed above, and if they may suffer bodily harm as the result of performing one or more of those functions, or if they do not wish to perform those functions, they can be reseated.

□ Cards MUST give the location of every available exit in the cabin.

□ Cards should encourage passengers to familiarize themselves with the location of the exits other than the one from which they entered the aircraft.

□ Cards MUST contain diagrams depicting the emergency opening of each exit type.

□ Any manual exit operations necessary to complete an evacuation (e.g., manual inflation of the evacuation slides, or operation of the stairs, or recommended placement of the overwing exit hatch).

□ Cards should depict all emergency door handle types’ direction arrow placard rotation.

□ Cards MUST contain instructions to passengers on how to exit the aircraft.

□ Cards MUST contain instructions to passengers on how to use the emergency slide or other means consistent with the exits on the aircraft type.

□ Cards MUST contain instructions illustrating the proper methods of egressing through the overwing exit.

□ Cards should contain instructions for passengers to walk or run on any ramp that leads from an exit. This should include placement of the window exit hatch/plug.

□ Cards should inform passengers not to bring carry-on baggage to the exits.

□ Cards should contain passenger protective brace positions to include, children, in all seat orientations whether forward- or aft-facing.

□ Cards MUST depict individual flotation equipment: location, stowage, and instructions for removal from packaging. When the aircraft is equipped with seat cushion the card must provide instructions for removal of and use of straps. When infant/child life vests are provided the card must depict the location and instructions for donning the vest.

□ Cards should depict manual and oral inflation backup system use in water.

□ Cards should depict operation of survivor locator lights and other accessories, such as life vest whistles as an example.

□ It is suggested that if the operator supplies child flotation devices, the cards should depict the method of donning and inflation.

□ Cards should contain instructions on: the oxygen mask location (including lavatories), donning, and means for adjusting the oxygen mask; starting the flow of the oxygen; and donning his or her own mask before assisting children with their masks.

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Appendix E E-3 □ Cards should inform passengers of permissible times, conditions, and limitations for use of portable electronic devices (PED).

□ Cards MUST contain supplemental information, such as instructions for stowage of carry-on baggage specific to takeoff and landing.

□ Cards MUST address tray table, galley service items stowage, and that all passenger seats MUST be placed in their fully upright position for aircraft ground movement, takeoff, and landing.

□ When liferafts are required, the cards should depict liferaft and slide/raft stowage, launching, and securing locations.

□ Cards should contain instructions regarding slide/raft instructions for passengers concerning preparation for use, inflation methods, and the means for securing rafts to the aircraft.

□ Title 14 CFR requires passenger compliance with lighted passenger information signs, posted placards, areas designated for safety purposes as no smoking areas (including electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and vape devices), and crewmember instructions with regard to these items.

□ Title 14 CFR requires passenger compliance with lighted passenger information signs and crewmember instructions concerning the use of seatbelts.

□ Location of survival equipment.

□ Location of fire extinguishers (14 CFR part 135, § 135.117).

□ Cards must state,18 “Final assembly of this airplane was completed in [INSERT NAME OF COUNTRY].”

18 Part 121, § 121.571 and § 135.117 state, “No later than June 12, 2005, for Domestic and Flag scheduled passenger-carrying flights, the sentence, ‘Final assembly of this airplane was completed in [INSERT NAME OF COUNTRY].’”

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Appendix F F-1 APPENDIX F. SAMPLE POSTFLIGHT PASSENGER SAFETY BRIEFING

COMPREHENSION SURVEY FOR OPERATOR DATA ANALYSIS Survey to determine passenger comprehension of required safety information.

1. The safety information video/live briefing increases passenger awareness of emergency procedures and safety features.