Federal Aviation Administration, DOT

Section 121.310

EDITORIAL NOTE: For FEDERAL REGISTER citations affecting Section 121.309, see the List of CFR
Sections Affected, which appears in the
Finding Aids section of the printed volume
and at www.govinfo.gov.

Section 121.310 Additional emergency equipment.
(a) Means for emergency evacuation.
Each
passenger-carrying
landplane
emergency exit (other than over-thewing) that is more than 6 feet from the
ground with the airplane on the ground
and the landing gear extended, must
have an approved means to assist the
occupants in descending to the ground.
The assisting means for a floor-level
emergency exit must meet the requirements of Section 25.809(f)(1) of this chapter in
effect on April 30, 1972, except that, for
any airplane for which the application
for the type certificate was filed after
that date, it must meet the requirements under which the airplane was
type certificated. An assisting means
that deploys automatically must be
armed during taxiing, takeoffs, and
landings. However, if the Administrator finds that the design of the exit
makes compliance impractical, he may
grant a deviation from the requirement
of automatic deployment if the assisting means automatically erects upon
deployment and, with respect to required emergency exits, if an emergency evacuation demonstration is
conducted
in
accordance
with
Section 121.291(a). This paragraph does not
apply to the rear window emergency
exit of DC-3 airplanes operated with
less than 36 occupants, including crewmembers and less than five exits authorized for passenger use.
(b) Interior emergency exit marking.
The following must be complied with
for each passenger-carrying airplane:
(1) Each passenger emergency exit,
its means of access, and its means of
opening
must
be
conspicuously
marked. The identity and location of
each passenger emergency exit must be
recognizable from a distance equal to
the width of the cabin. The location of
each passenger emergency exit must be
indicated by a sign visible to occupants
approaching along the main passenger
aisle. There must be a locating sign - 
(i) Above the aisle near each overthe-wing passenger emergency exit, or

at another ceiling location if it is more
practical because of low headroom;
(ii) Next to each floor level passenger
emergency exit, except that one sign
may serve two such exits if they both
can be seen readily from that sign; and
(iii) On each bulkhead or divider that
prevents fore and aft vision along the
passenger cabin, to indicate emergency
exits beyond and obscured by it, except
that if this is not possible the sign may
be placed at another appropriate location.
(2) Each passenger emergency exit
marking and each locating sign must
meet the following:
(i) Except as provided in paragraph
(b)(2)(iii) of this section, for an airplane for which the application for the
type certificate was filed prior to May
1, 1972, each passenger emergency exit
marking and each locating sign must
be manufactured to meet the requirements of Section 25.812(b) of this chapter in effect on April 30, 1972. On these airplanes, no sign may continue to be
used if its luminescence (brightness)
decreases to below 100 microlamberts.
The colors may be reversed if it increases the emergency illumination of
the passenger compartment. However,
the Administrator may authorize deviation from the 2-inch background requirements if he finds that special circumstances exist that make compliance impractical and that the proposed
deviation provides an equivalent level
of safety.
(ii) For a transport category airplane
for which the application for the type
certificate was filed on or after May 1,
1972, each passenger emergency exit
marking and each locating sign must
be manufactured to meet the interior
emergency exit marking requirements
under which the airplane was type certificated. On these airplanes, no sign
may continue to be used if its luminescence (brightness) decreases to below
250 microlamberts.
(iii) For a nontransport category turbopropeller powered airplane type certificated after December 31, 1964, each
passenger emergency exit marking and
each locating sign must be manufactured to have white letters 1 inch high
on a red background 2 inches high, be
self-illuminated or independently, internally electrically illuminated, and

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