Considerations Related to Additional Airworthiness Specifications EASA Part 26 - Seats & Harnesses

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26.50 Seats, berths, safety belts, and harnesses - Regulation (EU) 2015/640
Operators of large aeroplanes used in commercial air transport, type certified on or after 1 January 1958, shall ensure that each flight or cabin crew member seat and its restraint system are configured in order to provide an optimum level of protection in an emergency landing whilst allowing the occupant’s necessary functions and facilitating rapid egress.

CS 26.50 Seats, berths, safety belts, and harnesses
Each seat at a flight deck station is equipped with a combined safety belt and shoulder harness with a single-point release that permits the flight deck occupant, when seated with a safety belt and shoulder harness fastened, to perform all of the occupant’s necessary flight deck functions.
     »  There must be a means to secure each combined safety belt and shoulder harness, when not in use, to prevent interference with the operation of the aeroplane and with rapid egress in an emergency.
     »  Shoulder harness and combined safety belt and shoulder harness that were approved and installed prior to 6 March 1980 may continue to be used.
     »  Safety belt and shoulder harness restraint systems may be designed to the inertia load factors established under the certification basis of the aeroplane.

Each seat for a cabin crew member required by Part-ORO.CC.100, located in passenger compartments:

 Additional to the Harness Requirement per above plus

     »  Provide a direct view of the cabin area for which the cabin crew member is individually responsible, except that for aeroplanes with a certification basis prior to JAR 25.785 at Change 8 (1981) (or FAR Part 25, §25.785, at Amendment 25-51 respectively), cabin crew member seats need not be re-located to meet that condition if an indirect view into the passenger cabin is given by a mirror;
     »  Either forward or rearward facing, with an energy-absorbing rest that is designed to support the arms, shoulders, head, and spine; and
     »  Positioned so that when not in use they do not interfere with the use of passageways and exits.

Note: Combined safety belt and shoulder harness that were approved and installed prior to 6 March 1980 may continue to be used.

Safety belt and shoulder harness restraint systems may be designed to the inertia load factors established under the certification basis of the aeroplane.

     »  Each seat for a cabin crew member required by Part-ORO.CC.100 is located to minimise the probability of its occupant suffering injury by being struck by items dislodged in a galley, or from a storage compartment or serving cart. All items expected in these locations in service are considered. (See GM1 26.50(c))
     »  Each occupant of a seat that makes more than an 18-degree angle with the vertical plane containing the aeroplane centreline is protected from head injury by a safety belt and an energy-absorbing rest that will support the arms, shoulders, head and spine, or by a safety belt and shoulder harness that prevents the head from contacting any injurious object.
     »  Each occupant of any other seat is protected from head injury by a safety belt and, as appropriate to the type, location, and angle of facing of each seat, by one or more of the following:
         o  A shoulder harness that will prevent the head from contacting any injurious object;
         o  The elimination of any injurious object within a striking radius of the head;
         o  An energy absorbing rest that will support the arms, shoulders, head, and spine.

Next Steps

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