Appendix 2
(c) Liferafts and Slide/Rafts. Crewmembers must instruct passengers on liferaft and slide/raft retrieval from stowage and their preparation for use.
(d) Information on Safety Information Briefing Cards. Crewmembers should emphasize that review of the passenger safety information cards is important. Safety information briefing cards shall not commingle extended overwater and non-extended-overwater equipment on the same card (refer to § 121.571(b)).
b. Post-Takeoff. If a “Fasten Seat Belt” sign is installed, then immediately before or after the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign is turned off, an announcement must be made that passengers should keep their seatbelts fastened while seated even if the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign is turned off. If there is no “Fasten Seat Belt” sign installed, then crewmembers should inform passengers as soon as possible after takeoff that they should keep their seatbelts fastened. The possibility of encountering unexpected turbulence should be emphasized to passengers (refer to § 121.571(a)(1)(iii)).
c. Prelanding. A prelanding briefing is recommended and should include the following:
seatbelts must be securely fastened; smoking materials must be extinguished; tray tables and conference tables (if the aircraft is so equipped) must be secured in their stowed position; seat backs must be in a fully upright position; sleeper seats and premium business seats should be returned to the taxi, takeoff and landing position (TTL); footrest retracted; food, beverages, or tableware must be picked up; and carry-on baggage, including PEDs and movie/video screens must be properly stowed for landing.
d. Postlanding. Postlanding safety instructions are not required by regulation; however, they are the industry standard practice. After landing, an appropriate crewmember should inform passengers to remain seated with seatbelts fastened until the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign has been turned off. This announcement should be accompanied by an explanation that this is for passenger safety and the safety of those seated around them. The signal to release the seatbelt, gather belongings, and proceed to exit is when the pilot turns off the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign. In addition, passengers should be reminded to use caution when opening the overhead bins; items may have shifted and could potentially injure seated passengers by falling from overhead bins.
Passengers should be cautioned on the appropriate time to use cell phones in accordance with air carrier procedures. Passengers should also be reminded about prohibitions against smoking.
4. PASSENGER SAFETY INFORMATION CARDS. Oral briefings must be supplemented with safety information briefing cards, which must be pertinent only to that type and model of aircraft and consistent with the airline’s procedures (refer to § 121.571)(b).3 The information on the safety information cards should be consistent with the information contained in the air carrier’s manuals. When aircraft equipment is substantially different even within the same model of aircraft, the air carrier should provide safety information cards specific to that aircraft. Merely labeling the equipment depictions with the different types and models of aircraft is not sufficient.
Safety information cards must also show the most common method used to operate the 3 Section 121.571(b): “Each card must contain information pertinent only to the type and model of airplane used for that flight, including—(1) Diagrams of, and methods of operating, the emergency exits; (2) Other instructions necessary for use of emergency equipment.”
Appendix 2 emergency exits in an emergency and other instructions necessary for the use of emergency equipment.
a. Design, Location, and Layout. Consideration of the design, dimensions, layout, and location of the passenger safety information briefing card can significantly contribute to passenger safety education. The passenger safety information card must be designed and located so that the seated passenger will be able to see and have access to the safety information card when it is placed in its normal location aboard the aircraft. The passenger safety information card should be large enough so that when placed in its normal location aboard the aircraft, the passenger seated for TTL will be able to visually locate and identify the safety information card.
It should not be possible for the safety information card, when it is in its normal location, to slip out of the sight of the passenger. The safety information card should have an eye-catching title or symbol identifying itself as safety or emergency instructions. The mode of presentation should be diagrammatic or pictorial, making written information, to the extent possible, unnecessary.
The information on the safety information card must apply to only the type and model of aircraft on which it is used. The method used to depict equipment and actions can be pictures of people, diagrams, drawings, words, or combinations of these. The use of international symbols is encouraged. All depictions should be easy to understand and not complex. Safety information cards should also be interesting and attractive so passengers will want to read them. For example, a multicolored card that has pictures and drawings will be picked up and read more often than a black and white printed card. Information regarding exit seating should be printed on the safety information card in the languages used by the air carrier (refer to § 121.571(b)).
b. Extraneous Information. Passenger safety information briefing cards should contain only information that is essential for safety. Each safety information briefing card must contain information pertinent only to the type and model of airplane used for that flight. For example, advertising, schedules, or promotional sales information is not safety-related and should not be on the cards.
c. Content. Safety information briefing cards that provide information to passengers must include:
(1) Passenger Compliance With Safety Information. The instructions on the safety information briefing cards shall advise passengers that they must comply with safety instructions including signs, placards, and instructions from crewmembers. The importance of complying with the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign should be emphasized using pictographs or text.
(2) Smoking. The safety information briefing cards must inform passengers that smoking, including e-cigarettes, is prohibited in the aircraft lavatory at all times.
(3) Seatbelts (Including Seatbelts, Airbag Seatbelts and Shoulder Harness Lap Belt Combinations). The safety information briefing cards should have instructions for fastening, tightening, and opening seatbelts.
(4) Seat Backs. The safety information briefing cards should provide instructions to passengers that their seat backs should be in the upright position for takeoff and landing. (Refer to § 121.571(a)(1)(v)(A).)
Appendix 2
(5) Floor Proximity Emergency Lighting. If the aircraft is equipped with floor proximity emergency lighting, the cards should inform passengers that emergency lights are located on or in the vicinity of the floor of the aircraft.
(6) Exit Seating. An exit seat is a seat with direct access to an emergency exit without entering an aisle or passing around an obstruction. The passenger safety briefing must call attention to the existence of special exit seating briefing cards located at exit seats. (Certificate holders may elect to incorporate the additional information required to be included in the exit seating briefing cards into the standard safety information briefing cards required to be provided for the use of all passengers). Exit seat information on safety cards must meet the requirements of § 121.585(b), (d), and (e). The exit seating briefing cards are part of the approved Exit Seating Program described or referenced in operations specification (OpSpec) A022.
(7) Exit Location. The safety information cards must give the location of every available exit in the cabin. The safety information cards should encourage passengers to familiarize themselves with the location of exits other than the one they entered.
(8) Exit Operations. The safety information briefing cards must contain diagrams depicting the emergency opening of each exit type. Any manual operations necessary to successfully complete an evacuation, such as arming, manual inflation of the evacuation slide, location of life lines, operation of the stairs, or the placement of the hatch type exit on the seat or outside the aircraft shall also be included. The procedures for the placement of the hatch should be consistent with the procedures in the operator’s manual. Showing more than one method of opening a door could be confusing. Lessons learned from interviews with surviving passengers indicate that confusion is sometimes created by a diagram or pictograph of an exit operation only on one side of the aircraft. If, for instance, all the emergency door handles rotate toward the rear of the aircraft, this shall be explained on the safety information cards. The explanation should show that the handles are rotated in the direction of the arrow.
(9) Evacuation Slide/Assist Means. The safety information cards must contain instructions on the best method for exiting the aircraft using the slide or other installed means of assisting the passenger to exit the aircraft and get on the ground. Evacuation instructions for slides, stairs, and window exits depicted on safety information briefing cards shall be in accordance with manufacturers’ specification and type certification.
(10) Overwing Exit Use. The safety information briefing cards must contain instructions illustrating the proper method of egressing through an overwing exit. Safety information briefing cards shall also contain instructions for passengers to walk or run on any ramp that leads from an exit. The direction and route of escape after leaving overwing exits shall also be included. The procedure for placement of the window exit plug must be consistent with the procedure in the operator’s manual. NTSB Safety Recommendation A-10-081, following US Airways Flight 1549 ditching on the Hudson River, states that passengers should be aware of life lines installed in the window frame. These assist devices are typically designed to assist passengers egressing through an overwing exit or boarding a raft during a ditching or unplanned water landing. Where certification for ditching in accordance with § 25.801 is applicable, there must be provisions to store life lines. Accordingly, safety information briefing cards must identify life line stowage and instructions to enable the occupants to stay on the wing after ditching.
Appendix 2
(11) Carry-On Baggage. Safety information cards should include clear instructions to “leave everything” behind in the event of an emergency egress. Passengers who remove carry-on baggage during emergency egress continue to present a challenge to airline crewmembers. Many operators include instructions to leave carry-on baggage behind in the event of an evacuation as part of the preflight safety briefing, and often illustrations are included on the safety information card. However, some passengers appear to not heed such information. Post-incident interviews with passengers and crewmembers report that passengers are unaware of the safety hazard that carry-on baggage can pose.
(12) Brace Position. To prepare for an accident, one action that an occupant can take to contribute to their survival is to assume an appropriate brace-for-impact position. The safety information cards shall contain information about protective brace positions to be assumed by passengers, including children, in all seat orientations (i.e., forward-, aft-, oblique-, and side-facing) and all seat spacing for that aircraft. To reduce detrimental interaction between the occupant’s arms and the seat back, the brace position for forward-facing passenger seats has been modified by placing the hands down by the lower legs instead of on the seat back. This alternate position was successful in significantly reducing head and neck injury risk for all of the seat back types evaluated in a 2015 Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) research study.
The current positions recommended in Appendix 4, Brace-for-Impact Positions, have been revised to provide an equivalent level of safety for all passenger seat back types.
(13) Location of Survival Equipment. The safety information cards must provide information about the location of survival equipment. This is best done by using diagrams.
(14) Location and Use of Fire Extinguishers. The safety information cards must depict the location of fire extinguishers. In addition, they must provide information regarding the use of fire extinguishers.
(15) Individual Flotation Devices.
(a) The cards must depict their stowage location and contain instructions concerning removal of the devices from the stowage locations, extraction from the stowage pouches or packages, manual and oral inflation backup systems, its use in the water, and the manual operation of survivor locator lights and accessories, as appropriate. The cards should depict the method of fitting adult life preservers on small children. If the operator supplies child flotation devices, the donning and method of inflation of these devices should be depicted on the cards.
(b) When a passenger is informed about more than one type of flotation cushion or life preserver, it can be confusing. One method for informing passengers is to give each passenger information about the piece of individual flotation equipment that is located at that individual passenger’s seat. In some cases, this may mean different safety information cards at different seats and individual briefings at certain seats. When two sections on the same aircraft are equipped differently, each section would need a different passenger safety briefing. Another method for informing passengers is to advise them during the oral safety briefing that there are different types of flotation devices on the airplane, therefore, it is important that they study the safety information card carefully and be aware of the differences in the flotation equipment. The different methods of donning and/or operating the individual flotation device must be depicted Page 10
Appendix 2 on the safety information card and given in the oral safety briefing or demonstration (refer to §§ 121.571(a)(1)(iv) and 121.573).
(c) Section 121.340(a) requires that an airplane be equipped with a life preserver or approved flotation means for each occupant, that the device be within easy reach of each seated occupant and readily removable from the airplane. Section 121.311 permits an adult occupying an approved seat to hold a child less than 2 years of age. This child is commonly referred to as an “in-lap” child.
1. One purpose of § 121.340(a) is to ensure that a flotation means is provided for each occupant. The flotation means may be a life preserver, a seat cushion, or a combination of flotation means. The FAA’s long-standing reading of § 121.340(a) is that all cabin occupants, including in-lap children, must have an individual flotation means available for use. That reading was affirmed in 1996, when the FAA issued a legal interpretation regarding § 121.340(a). AGC found that the rule requires a flotation means for all cabin occupants, including “in-lap” children.
2. As a practical matter, an adult would probably have trouble trying to control a child being buoyed by a typical full-sized life vest or seat cushion in the unlikely event of a landing in water. Survival factors research indicates that an in-lap child would benefit from specially-designed flotation equipment that keeps the child’s torso out of the water. Accordingly, the FAA encourages operators to consider providing appropriately designed flotation equipment, either life preservers or other approved equipment, for use by in-lap children.
3. If an operator should elect to provide specially sized flotation equipment for in-lap children, and if that equipment is located differently from the typical flotation equipment for other occupants, or operates differently, then additional information regarding that special equipment would be required in the briefing given to passengers. On the other hand, if that special equipment should differ only in respect to size (child size versus adult size) but not the location or function (both life vests are stored and donned similarly) then no additional information would be required in the oral briefing.
4. Operators should not invent or create their own unique method of using a flotation device with an adult holding a lap child or infant. Operators should verify that the safety information card illustrations reflect the design specifications for the individual flotation cushion or life preserver (refer to the manufacturer’s specifications and TSO-C72c).
(16) Oxygen Mask. The safety information cards should contain instructions on all cabin locations, donning, and means for adjusting oxygen masks; any further actions needed to start the flow of oxygen; and instructions to passengers to don their own oxygen mask before assisting children with their masks.
(17) PEDs. The safety information cards should inform passengers of permissible times, conditions, and limitations when various PEDs may be used.
(18) Seat Backs. The safety information card should provide information that seat backs must be placed in the full upright position before takeoff and landing.
Appendix 2
(19) Supplemental Information. The safety information cards may contain supplemental instructions. For example, for movement on the surface, takeoff, and landing, carry-on baggage and tray tables must be properly stowed, and galley service items must be collected from passengers and stowed (refer to §§ 121.589(c) and 121.577(b)).
(20) Extended Overwater Operations. When liferafts are required to be carried in extended overwater operations, the safety information cards should depict liferaft and slide/raft stowage, launching, and securing locations. When life lines are installed the safety information card should depict how to access the life line and where to attach it to the wing. The safety information cards also must contain instructions for passengers concerning preparation for use, inflation methods, and the means for securing rafts to the aircraft. Operators shall avoid confusion by not combining overwater and non-overwater equipment on the same safety information briefing card.
Appendix 3 APPENDIX 3. PART 135 OPERATIONS WITH AND WITHOUT
FLIGHT ATTENDANTS This Appendix discusses the oral briefing and passenger information cards used in 14 CFR part 135 operations.1
1. CREWMEMBER PROCEDURES. Passenger briefings are delivered orally or through video presentations. Each oral briefing provided by a carrier or commercial operator for its passengers must be explained and described in appropriate manuals. The manuals should also contain a description of crewmember tasks and coordination procedures to ensure passenger compliance with information signs and crewmember’s safety instructions. This description should include the stipulation that crewmembers should notify the pilot in command (PIC) anytime a passenger refuses to comply with safety instructions. Crewmembers should neither be assigned nor perform non-safety-related duties during the safety information briefings if those duties could obstruct the view of the passengers or distract them from active listening.
2. ORAL BRIEFINGS. The pretakeoff oral safety information briefing should be given so that each passenger can clearly hear it. Crewmembers giving these briefings should speak slowly and distinctly.2 The pretakeoff oral safety briefing may be given by prerecorded audiotape or videotape means. These methods of passenger safety briefing should be considered when the aircraft is equipped with the necessary videotape and sound equipment. The advantage of a prerecorded audiotape or videotape presentation is the assurance that a complete briefing is given, that the diction is good, and that an overall high quality briefing is maintained.
Prerecorded presentations also lend themselves very well to a multilingual presentation. In addition, a prerecorded presentation can include “closed captioning” for the deaf and other visual presentations, which may be more meaningful to passengers. Airlines using prerecorded presentations should have procedures to ensure that screens used during these presentations, which extend into the aisles, are properly stowed prior to movement on the surface, takeoff, or landing.3 Screens located at passenger seats that could impede rapid passenger egress also should be stowed properly prior to movement on the surface, takeoff, or landing. In addition, operators should have alternative briefing procedures to follow if the prerecorded or WiFi presentation becomes inoperative (refer to part 135, § 135.117(f)).
NOTE: Pretakeoff oral, audio, video, or WiFi safety information briefings should contain only information that is essential for safety. For example, paid advertising, schedules, or promotional information is not safety-related and should not be commingled in the safety information briefing script.
1 Information in this Appendix can be used to provide suggestions for 14 CFR part 125 and 135 operators.
2 Section 135.117(d) states, the required oral briefing shall be given by the PIC, a crewmember, or other qualified person designated by the certificate holder and approved by the Administrator.
3 A safety briefing accessed with a WiFi-enabled computer, tablet, or hand-held device must comply with 14 CFR part 121, § 121.577(d) and included in free content.
Appendix 3
a. Pretakeoff. In accordance with § 135.117, before each takeoff, the PIC must ensure that all passengers are orally briefed on each of the following. This oral briefing shall be given by the PIC or a crewmember.
(1) Compliance With Signs and Placards. The safety information briefing must include a statement that the FAA’s regulations require passenger compliance with the lighted passenger information signs (if required) and posted placards as well as crewmember instructions.
(2) Smoking. The safety information briefing must also include the ban on smoking (refer to 14 CFR part 252, § 252.3). This must include that:
(a) Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is not permitted on the ground, anytime the “No Smoking” sign (if required) is illuminated or, if applicable, when a flight has been designated as a no smoking flight (refer to § 252.1);
(b) Federal regulations require passenger compliance with the lighted passenger information signs, posted placards, areas designated for safety purposes as no smoking areas, and crewmembers’ instructions (refer to § 135.117(a)(1) and part 252);
(c) Smoking is prohibited in the lavatories (if installed) and other designated nonsmoking areas and that tampering with, destroying, or disabling smoke detectors in the lavatories is prohibited by Federal law (refer to § 135.117(a)(1));
(d) Passengers must comply with the instructions of the crewmembers regarding smoking or the prohibition against smoking (refer to § 135.117(a)(1)).
(3) Seatbelts (Including Seatbelts, Airbag Seatbelts, and Shoulder Harness Lap Belt Combinations). The PIC or a crewmember must brief passengers on the method of fastening, tightening, and unfastening seatbelts. The PIC or crewmember also should brief passengers that seatbelts should be worn low and tight. Passengers must also be informed that their seatbelts must be fastened anytime the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign is illuminated (if installed) and that their seatbelts should be fastened anytime they are seated. In addition, passengers must be informed that they must obey the instructions of crewmembers concerning the use of seatbelts. (Refer to § 135.117(a)(2).)
(4) Seat Backs. The PIC or a crewmember must brief passengers regarding the need to have their seat backs in an upright position before takeoff and landing.
(5) Exits. The PIC or a crewmember must brief passengers on the location and means of opening the passenger entry door and emergency exits. Crewmembers should also brief passengers on any additional information about the exits. The passengers seated nearest to an exit or door should be briefed on the operation of that door or exit. Some window exits are equipped with a life line or rope installed in the window frame. On other aircraft equipped for overwater operation, the life line is located in a small overhead stowage bin. This life line is primarily designed to stabilize passengers boarding a liferaft from the slippery surface of the aircraft wing. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has indicated, in Safety Recommendation A-10-081, that when life lines are installed on extended overwater aircraft, passengers must be briefed on the location to ensure that the life lines can be quickly and Page 2
Appendix 3 effectively retrieved and used. This information should be included during the oral safety briefing or illustrated on the safety information card (refer to § 135.117(e)).
(6) Survival Equipment. The PIC or a crewmember must include in these briefings information about the location of survival equipment (refer to § 135.117(a)(5)).
(7) Fire Extinguisher. The PIC or a crewmember must brief passengers on the location and use of fire extinguishers (refer to § 135.117(a)(8)).
(8) Exit Seating.
(a) In its response to the NTSB Recommendation A-00-077 on exit seating, the FAA strongly encourages air carriers to require crewmembers to provide a preflight personal briefing to each passenger seated in an exit seat. That requirement would be part of the air carrier’s approved Exit Seating Program, and would apply to each passenger seated in an exit seat. The preflight personal briefing should:
1. Clearly explain what each such passenger should do in the event the exit might be needed.
2. Refer each such passenger to the information included on the passenger information card.
(b) Existing regulations require that passenger briefings include a request for passengers seated in exit seats to identify themselves if they feel they cannot or do not wish to perform the exit seat functions included on the passenger information card (refer to § 135.129).
(c) An entity undergoing certification should include a requirement for crewmembers to perform preflight personal briefings in its approved Exit Seating Program. The FAA strongly recommends that each existing air carrier amend its approved Exit Seating Program by including the preflight personal briefing as an integral element (refer to § 135.129, as applicable).
(9) Passengers Needing Assistance. The PIC or a crewmember must individually brief a passenger who may need assistance in moving expeditiously to an exit if an emergency occurs as to the procedures to be followed if an evacuation occurs. If the person is accompanied by an attendant, the attendant must also be briefed. The briefing must include information about the most appropriate route to an exit and the most appropriate time to start moving toward that exit.
There should also be an inquiry about the most appropriate manner of assisting the person to prevent pain and further injury. (Refer to § 135.117(b).)
(10) Floor Proximity Emergency Lighting. If an aircraft is equipped with floor proximity emergency lighting, the PIC should inform passengers that emergency lights are located on or near the floor of the aircraft.
(11) Portable Electronic Devices (PED). Except as provided in part 91, § 91.21, no part 119 certificate holder or PIC may operate or allow the operation of PEDs on any U.S.-registered aircraft operated by the certificate holder. Passengers should be informed of permissible times, conditions, and limitations when various PEDs may be used. Information for Page 3
Appendix 3 Operators (InFO) 13010 provides operators with a method for expanding the allowances of PED use.
(12) Oxygen Equipment Including Passengers Using Oxygen Therapy.
(a) If the flight involves operations above 12,000 mean sea level (MSL), the PIC or a crewmember must brief passengers on the normal and emergency use of oxygen. These instructions should include locating, donning, and adjusting the equipment; any action which might be necessary to start the flow of oxygen; and the prohibition against smoking during oxygen use. Passengers shall also be given instructions regarding the automatic appearance of the oxygen mask in all sections of the cabin including lavatories. During the safety briefing, the passengers must be instructed to don their own oxygen masks before assisting children with their masks. The announcement must include information that oxygen mask reservoir bags may not inflate, although sufficient oxygen is flowing into the bag. On flights where smoking is permitted, passengers must be told to extinguish all cigarettes when oxygen is in use (refer to § 135.157).
(b) If a passenger requires air carrier- or passenger-supplied therapeutic oxygen, the briefing should include what to do in case of cabin decompression. The operational altitude for portable oxygen concentrators (POC) is up to 10,000 feet (3,048 m) (523 mmHg). Higher altitudes may affect oxygen canister performance; therefore, passengers using therapeutic oxygen should discontinue use of the POC and use the oxygen mask from the passenger service unit. The PIC will announce when it is safe to discontinue use of the decompression oxygen.
(13) Supplemental Information. Passengers shall be briefed regarding passenger safety information briefing cards and additional safety actions. Critical information includes the following:
(a) The location of the safety information briefing cards and the fact that they contain additional safety information, which the passengers should read.
(b) The briefing should also contain instructions regarding passenger compliance with the following pretakeoff requirements: proper stowage of each passenger’s carry-on baggage, including large PEDs; securing each passenger’s food and beverage tray in its stowed position; and stowing any food, beverage, or tableware.
(c) Passengers must be instructed to leave carry-on baggage behind during an emergency evacuation. Carry-on baggage during an emergency egress can put other passengers at risk by delaying evacuation, injuring passengers, obstructing the exit, or potentially damaging the evacuation slide (when installed).
(14) Extended Overwater Operations. If the flight involves extended overwater operations, the PIC or a crewmember must brief passengers on ditching procedures and the use of required flotation equipment. The PIC or the crewmember must brief passengers before takeoff. It should include:
Appendix 3
(a) Exits. The PIC or a crewmember must instruct passengers on the most appropriate exits for their use. Passengers should be aware of installed life lines or ropes designed to assist passengers while on the aircraft wing surface.
(b) Flotation Equipment.
1. The PIC or a crewmember must ensure that passengers are briefed on the type, location, and use of required flotation equipment. This briefing must include the type of equipment available at the individual passenger’s seat and the method of use in the water, such as putting the arms through the straps and resting the torso on the cushion. When the aircraft is equipped with life preservers, the safety information briefing must include instructions about the specific location (e.g., under or between seats, or in a side console), removal of life preservers from stowage areas, including pouches, and the donning and inflation of the life preservers. If the aircraft is equipped with both flotation cushions and life preservers, crewmembers must brief passengers on both types of equipment.
2. When the safety briefing includes more than one type of flotation cushion or life preserver, it can be confusing. The different methods of donning and/or operating the individual flotation device shall be specific to the equipment on the aircraft, depicted on the safety information briefing card, and provided in the oral briefing, video, or live demonstration (refer to § 135.117(a)(6) and (e)(3)).
(c) Individual Flotation Equipment for In-Lap Child (Under the Age of 2).
Section 135.128 permits an adult occupying an approved seat to hold a child less than 2 years of age. This child is commonly referred to as an “in-lap” child. The FAA’s long-standing reading of § 121.340(a) is that all cabin occupants, including in-lap children, must have an individual flotation means available for use. That reading was affirmed in 1996, when the FAA issued a legal interpretation regarding § 121.340(a). Although this legal interpretation was not directly applied to part 135 operators, appropriately-sized flotation equipment is recommended to mitigate the safety risk. When infant flotation equipment is provided, the briefing for a parent or caregiver traveling with an “in-lap” child is more effective when it is part of a special personalized briefing rather than using the public address (PA) system. Operators should not invent or create their own unique method of using a flotation device for an adult holding a lap child or infant. Operators must verify that the safety information card illustrations reflect the design specifications for the individual flotation cushion or life preserver (refer to Technical Standard Order (TSO)-C72c, Individual Flotation Devices).
(d) Liferafts and Slide/Rafts. Flight attendants (F/A) or other appropriate crewmembers must instruct passengers on liferaft and slide/raft retrieval from stowage and their presentation for use. Operators shall avoid confusion by not combining overwater and non-overwater equipment on the same safety information briefing card.
(e) Information on Cards. The PIC or crewmember should emphasize that review of the passenger information cards is important.
b. Post-Takeoff. Immediately before or after the lighted “Fasten Seat Belt” sign (if installed) is turned off, an announcement should be made that passengers should keep their Page 5
Appendix 3 seatbelts fastened while seated even if the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign is turned off. The possibility of encountering unexpected turbulence should also be emphasized to passengers.
c. Prelanding. The minimum prelanding briefing information should include the following:
• Seatbelts must be securely fastened.
• PEDs, such as laptop computers and DVD players, should be powered down and stowed. Some carriers permit small items, such as hand-held PEDs, to be secured (refer to InFO 13010).
• Tray tables must be secured in their stowed position.
• Seat backs must be in a fully upright position; sleeper seats and lie-flat seats must be returned to the taxi, takeoff, and landing position (TTL); and seats with adjustable footrest must be retracted.
• Food, beverages, or tableware must be picked up.
• Carry-on baggage and movie/video screens must be properly stowed for landing.
d. Postlanding. Postlanding safety instructions are not required by regulation; however, they are the industry standard practice. After landing, an F/A or other appropriate crewmember should inform passengers to remain seated with seatbelts fastened until the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign has been turned off. This announcement should be accompanied by an explanation that this is for passenger safety and the safety of those seated around them. The signal to release the seatbelt, gather belongings and proceed to the exit is when the pilot turns off the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign. In addition, passengers should be reminded to use caution when opening the overhead bins; items may have shifted and could potentially injure seated passengers by falling from overhead bins. Passengers should be cautioned on the appropriate time to use cell phones in accordance with air carrier procedures. Passengers should also be reminded about prohibitions against smoking.
3. PASSENGER SAFETY INFORMATION BRIEFING CARDS. Oral briefings must be supplemented with safety information briefing cards, which must be appropriate for the type and model of aircraft on which they are to be used and consistent with the airline’s procedures. The information on the safety information briefing cards should be consistent with the information contained in the air carrier’s manuals. When aircraft equipment is substantially different even with the same model of aircraft, the air carrier should provide safety information briefing cards specific to that aircraft. Merely labeling the depiction of the differences with the type and model of aircraft is not sufficient. Safety information cards must also show the method of operating the emergency exits in an emergency and other instructions necessary for the use of emergency equipment.
a. Design, Location, and Layout. Consideration of the design, dimensions, layout, and location of the passenger safety information briefing card can significantly contribute to passenger safety education. The passenger safety information card must be designed and located so that the seated passenger will be able to see and have access to the safety information card when it is placed in its normal location aboard the aircraft. The passenger safety information card should be large enough so that when placed in its normal location aboard the aircraft, the passenger seated for TTL will be able to visually locate and identify the safety information card.
It should not be possible for the safety information card, when it is in its normal location, to slip Page 6