Equipment & Furnishings
Crashworthy seats, emergency and over-water equipment, the ELT and cargo hoist/hook.
Equipment & furnishings, summary notes
- ATA 25 covers the helicopter cabin interior, seats and restraints (often crashworthy, energy-absorbing), cargo/sling-load provisions, and role equipment (hoist, medical, floats), certified for strength, flammability and crashworthiness.
- EMERGENCY equipment includes life rafts and jackets, an emergency locator transmitter (ELT), portable fire extinguishers and first-aid kits; emergency flotation gear (pop-out floats) is fitted for over-water operations.
- The ELT transmits a distress signal on 406 MHz (with 121.5 MHz homing) to the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system.
- Crashworthy, stroking seats and energy-absorbing structure are emphasised because helicopters can experience high vertical impact loads.
- Cargo hooks/hoists for external loads are load-rated and have an emergency (electrical and manual) release.
- ⚠ Exam trap: the ELT transmits on 406 MHz to satellites; helicopter seats are typically crashworthy/energy-absorbing for vertical impacts, and over-water types carry emergency flotation gear (pop-out floats).
Why are helicopter crew and passenger seats designed to 'stroke' (compress) on impact?
A helicopter can strike the ground with a high vertical velocity (e.g. after a power loss late in autorotation). Energy-absorbing 'stroking' seats compress in a controlled way to limit the vertical deceleration transmitted to the occupant's spine, greatly reducing injury. This crashworthiness is a defining feature of helicopter equipment and furnishings.
Equipment & furnishings concept map
Equipment & Furnishings
Equipment & furnishings quiz
Equipment & Furnishings, quiz
1. Helicopter seats are commonly
Crashworthy/energy-absorbing (stroking) for vertical impactsFixed and rigid, so that the occupant is held firmly against the airframe during an impactNot separately certified, being covered instead by the certification of the airframe as a whole2. A modern ELT transmits on
406 MHz (to Cospas-Sarsat satellites)121.5 MHz only1090 MHz3. Emergency flotation gear ('pop-out floats') is fitted for
Over-water operationsDesert operationsHigh-altitude flight4. A cargo hook/hoist for external loads must have
An emergency (electrical and manual) releaseNo releaseA fixed attachment only5. Cabin lining and furnishing materials are certified primarily for
Low flammability, smoke and toxicityElectrical conductivityMagnetic shielding6. Life rafts and jackets on a helicopter are classed as
Emergency equipment (ATA 25)Primary structureAvionics7. Energy-absorbing seats work by
Stroking (controlled compression) on impactEjecting the occupantInflating like an airbag only8. An ELT can be activated
Automatically by impact g or manuallyOnly from the groundOnly by ATC