764 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–14 Edition) 

§ 29.809 

tests found necessary by the Adminis-
trator, that the evacuation capability 
of the rotorcraft during ditching is im-
proved by the use of larger exits, or by 
other means, the passenger seat to exit 
ratio may be increased. 

(3) Flotation devices, whether stowed 

or deployed, may not interfere with or 
obstruct the exits. 

(e) 

Ramp exits. One Type I exit only, 

or one Type II exit only, that is re-
quired in the side of the fuselage under 
paragraph (b) of this section, may be 
installed instead in the ramp of floor 
ramp rotorcraft if— 

(1) Its installation in the side of the 

fuselage is impractical; and 

(2) Its installation in the ramp meets 

§ 29.813. 

(f) 

Tests.  The proper functioning of 

each emergency exit must be shown by 
test. 

[Amdt. 29–3, 33 FR 968, Jan. 26, 1968, as 
amended by Amdt. 29–12, 41 FR 55472, Dec. 20, 
1976; Amdt. 27–26, 55 FR 8004, Mar. 6, 1990] 

§ 29.809

Emergency exit arrangement. 

(a) Each emergency exit must consist 

of a movable door or hatch in the ex-
ternal walls of the fuselage and must 
provide an unobstructed opening to the 
outside. 

(b) Each emergency exit must be 

openable from the inside and from the 
outside. 

(c) The means of opening each emer-

gency exit must be simple and obvious 
and may not require exceptional effort. 

(d) There must be means for locking 

each emergency exit and for preventing 
opening in flight inadvertently or as a 
result of mechanical failure. 

(e) There must be means to minimize 

the probability of the jamming of any 
emergency exit in a minor crash land-
ing as a result of fuselage deformation 
under the ultimate inertial forces in 
§ 29.783(d). 

(f) Except as provided in paragraph 

(h) of this section, each land-based 
rotorcraft emergency exit must have 
an approved slide as stated in para-
graph (g) of this section, or its equiva-
lent, to assist occupants in descending 
to the ground from each floor level exit 
and an approved rope, or its equivalent, 
for all other exits, if the exit threshold 
is more that 6 feet above the ground— 

(1) With the rotorcraft on the ground 

and with the landing gear extended; 

(2) With one or more legs or part of 

the landing gear collapsed, broken, or 
not extended; and 

(3) With the rotorcraft resting on its 

side, if required by § 29.803(d). 

(g) The slide for each passenger emer-

gency exit must be a self-supporting 
slide or equivalent, and must be de-
signed to meet the following require-
ments: 

(1) It must be automatically de-

ployed, and deployment must begin 
during the interval between the time 
the exit opening means is actuated 
from inside the rotorcraft and the time 
the exit is fully opened. However, each 
passenger emergency exit which is also 
a passenger entrance door or a service 
door must be provided with means to 
prevent deployment of the slide when 
the exit is opened from either the in-
side or the outside under non-
emergency conditions for normal use. 

(2) It must be automatically erected 

within 10 seconds after deployment is 
begun. 

(3) It must be of such length after full 

deployment that the lower end is self- 
supporting on the ground and provides 
safe evacuation of occupants to the 
ground after collapse of one or more 
legs or part of the landing gear. 

(4) It must have the capability, in 25- 

knot winds directed from the most 
critical angle, to deploy and, with the 
assistance of only one person, to re-
main usable after full deployment to 
evacuate occupants safely to the 
ground. 

(5) Each slide installation must be 

qualified by five consecutive deploy-
ment and inflation tests conducted (per 
exit) without failure, and at least three 
tests of each such five-test series must 
be conducted using a single representa-
tive sample of the device. The sample 
devices must be deployed and inflated 
by the system’s primary means after 
being subjected to the inertia forces 
specified in § 29.561(b). If any part of the 
system fails or does not function prop-
erly during the required tests, the 
cause of the failure or malfunction 
must be corrected by positive means 
and after that, the full series of five 
consecutive deployment and inflation 

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