Emergency Equipment
Emergency equipment are those supplies necessary to save your life and the lives of your passengers should an emergency occur.
Introduction to Emergency Equipment
- Emergency equipment is your life-line when stranded until Search and Rescue (SAR) arrives
- Reinforce your understanding of Emergency Equipment by completing the knowledge quiz and interactive scenario, comparing your performance with the applicable Airman Certification Standards, and reviewing the topic summary before moving on.
Emergency Equipment Key Highlights
- Emergency equipment improves occupant survival, communication, and rescue capability during abnormal and emergency situations.
- Common aircraft emergency equipment includes fire extinguishers, first aid kits, ELTs, survival gear, and flotation devices.
- Pilots should verify the condition, accessibility, and inspection status of required emergency equipment before flight operations.
- Survival equipment requirements may vary based on terrain, climate, overwater operations, and regulatory considerations.
- Life vests, rafts, and signaling devices are especially important during overwater and remote-area flight operations.
- Portable oxygen systems and smoke protection equipment may be required for certain aircraft and operational environments.
- Passengers should receive safety briefings explaining emergency exits, survival equipment, and emergency procedures before departure.
- Improperly secured or expired emergency equipment may reduce effectiveness during actual emergency situations.
- Pilots should understand the operation and limitations of all onboard emergency equipment before flight.
- Understanding emergency equipment improves emergency preparedness, occupant survivability, and overall flight safety.
Emergency Equipment
- Depending on the operation, emergency equipment is necessary [//]
- Prepare and train for post-accident survival before flight: tailor the kit and clothing to the mission, terrain, and weather along the entire route, and keep essential water, food, first-aid, shelter, signaling, and 406 megahertz (MHz) PLB equipment immediately accessible in a wearable or portable kit that can leave the aircraft with the occupants.
- Each item must be inspected in accordance with 91.409 to ensure its continued serviceability and immediate readiness for its intended purpose
- Must be readily accessible to the crew
- Must clearly indicate its method of operation
- When carried in a compartment or container, must have that compartment or container marked as to its contents and last date of inspection
- Hand fire extinguishers must be provided for use by the crew, passenger, and cargo compartments in accordance with:
- Type and quantity must be suitable for the kinds of fires that may occur.
- When using a portable fire extinguisher, pull the safety pin, aim at the base of the fire, squeeze the operating handle, and sweep the discharge from side to side; use controlled bursts when practical, monitor for re-ignition, and ventilate the cabin when conditions permit because the extinguishing agent and combustion products may impair breathing and visibility.
- Must be properly secured so as not to interfere with safe operation of the aircraft but still identified and accessible.
- At least one extinguisher must be on or near the flight deck.
- At least one extinguisher must be located in the passenger compartment:
- 1 for every 6-30 passengers.
- 2 for 30+ passengers.
- See also, InFO 18013.
- First aid kids for treatment of injuries likely to occur in flight
- Crash axe if more than 19 passengers
- Each passenger-carrying airplane must have a portable battery-powered megaphone readily accessible to the crew to direct evacuation:
- 1 for airplanes with a seating capacity of 60-99 generally installed in the most rearward location.
- 2 for airplanes with a seating capacity of 100 or more, installed in the most forward and rearward location.
Emergency Locator Transmitter
- Pilots may supplement the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter (ELT) with a 406 MHz personal locator beacon (PLB). []
- A PLB does not replace an ELT required by regulation.
- Modern 406 MHz ELTs transmit a digital distress alert to search-and-rescue satellites and include a low-power 121.5 MHz homing signal.
- Older analog ELTs transmit an audio tone on 121.5 and 243.0 MHz, but satellites no longer monitor those frequencies.
- ELTs operate continuously for at least 48 hours over a wide range of temperatures.
- ELT batteries must be replaced or recharged:
- After more than one cumulative hour of transmitter use; or
- When 50 percent of the battery's useful life—or useful life of charge for a rechargeable battery—has expired.
- Test ELTs according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Unshielded tests of analog 121.5/243.0 MHz ELTs are limited to the first five minutes after the hour and no more than three audible sweeps.
- Test 406 MHz ELTs only as directed by the manufacturer; airborne testing is prohibited.
- For equipment requirements, exceptions, inspections, and battery replacement, see 14 CFR § 91.207 and AIM § 6-2-5.
- Learn more in the Emergency Locator Transmitter guide.
- Register a 406 MHz ELT with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and keep its owner and aircraft information current.
Factors to Consider
- Type of terrain or surface
- Type of climate and temperature conditions expected
- Type of emergency communications needed
- Location in the airplane
- How to operate or use
Basic Survival Gear
- First aid [Amazon].
- Flashlight [Amazon].
- Rescue Light [Amazon].
- Water
- Knife/multi-tool [Amazon].
- Matches (waterproof) [Amazon].
- Life Vests [Amazon]/Life Raft
- Additional clothing/warming layers
- Personal locator beacon
- Lighter/fire starter
- Glow stick [Amazon].
- Sunburn cream
- Bug repellent
- Snakebite kit
- Compass
- Signal mirror
- Warming pouches
- Whistle
- Water/camelback
- Non-perishable food
- Space blankets
- Nylon chord
- Two-way hand-held radios [Amazon] and cell phone (depending on expected coverage)
- Batteries
- Survival Equipment for over water operations (91.509)
- Phone/device charger.
- GPS messenger.
- Water bottle/container
- Water purification items
- Food stuffs with high caloric value, like protein bars
Flotation Gear
- Aircraft operating beyond power-off glide distance from shore are required to have access to flotation equipment [Amazon]. []
- Plan routes and cruising altitudes to minimize time beyond power-off gliding distance from shore, and file a flight plan or leave a detailed itinerary with a responsible person when conducting an overwater flight.
- Wear an appropriate personal flotation device when practical, keep essential survival and signaling equipment accessible after evacuation, and never inflate an inflatable life vest until clear of the aircraft.
- Consider water-egress training for pilots and passengers who regularly conduct flights beyond gliding distance from shore.
Signaling Devices
- Signaling devices [Amazon] can be important after an off-airport landing on land or water. Applicable operating rules may require particular signaling equipment for some overwater operations; do not treat that requirement as universal to every VFR (Visual Flight Rules) flight over water. [/]
Ballistic Parachute Systems
- Ballistic parachute systems are intended to improve survivability in specified emergencies, but deployment does not guarantee a safe or damage-free touchdown. Use only the installed system's manufacturer criteria, operating envelope, limitations, and checklist.
- BRS systems can be installed in smaller aircraft and helicopters.
- Ballistic Parachute System Maintenance:
- BRS installations require maintenance by a trained aircraft mechanic.
- Mechanics are looking for signs of wear, corrosion, damage or other items as specified by the manufacturer.
- Inspections and some part replacements are required on a schedule or as required (suspected damage, inadvertent activation, etc.)
- Pilots must pay attention to these inspection and replacement intervals as part of their preflight
- Major maintenance, including repacking or work required after a breach of the canister's inner or upper cap, requires factory attention.
Emergency Auto-land Systems
- Emergency autoland capabilities, activation criteria, runway-selection logic, communications, and limitations vary by installation; use the approved aircraft and system guidance.
- If passengers may need to activate Emergency Autoland, identify the installed activation control or controls during the passenger briefing and explain system prompts, restraint and noninterference requirements, and post-landing shutdown or evacuation actions.
- Activation does not justify abandoning situational awareness. Monitor system status, traffic, weather, runway suitability, and changing hazards to the extent circumstances permit.
Cold-Weather Survival Considerations
- Wear or carry layered cold-weather clothing, including gloves and a warm head covering.
- Wear or carry insulated, water-resistant footwear.
- Continue to hydrate even when you are not sweating or feeling thirsty.
- Carry blankets or tarps for insulation, emergency shelter, and protection from wind and moisture.
Things to Remember
- Plan for compound emergencies; an off-airport landing may be followed by injury, fire, exposure, or delayed rescue.
- A filed and activated VFR flight plan can trigger overdue-aircraft actions, but only if someone knows the aircraft has not arrived and the plan is not closed. It does not guarantee immediate rescue.
- After a forced landing, verify and manually activate the ELT when appropriate because impact activation is not guaranteed.
- Use aircraft materials for shelter or signaling only after addressing fire, fuel, structural, and other hazards.
- Judgment remains the most important survival resource aboard.
- Extended over water operations (135.167)
- Survival Equipment (AIM 6-2-6h)
- Last but not least, be creative
- You may not think you have much, but you brought a ~2,000-pound suitcase
- Use what you must, seats, fuel, compass, radio, your maps
Emergency Equipment Preflight Briefing
- Brief the location, access, and proper use of applicable exits, restraints, flotation and survival gear, fire extinguishers, signaling or locating equipment, and any assigned passenger actions.
- Before flight, verify that required and planned equipment is present, serviceable, suitable for the route and occupants, within applicable inspection or expiration limits, secured, and accessible after a survivable landing.
- For overwater planning, consider water temperature, distance from shore, glide capability, weather, occupants, signaling, flotation, and realistic rescue delay. Applicable regulations depend on the aircraft and operation.
Emergency Equipment Interactive Scenario
The Night Beside Frost Lake
Equip a remote cold-country flight, survive a forced landing beside an isolated lake, and use accessible communications, medical, shelter, water, and signaling equipment until rescuers arrive.
Decision 1
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Scenario Complete
Emergency Equipment Knowledge Check
Choose the knowledge check that matches your current training for Emergency Equipment.
Private Pilot
PPL knowledge check
Core Knowledge Review
Review foundational knowledge, key concepts, and practical considerations. Topic: Emergency Equipment.
- Immediate feedback
- Answer explanations
- Account progress tracking
Commercial Pilot
CPL knowledge check
Advanced Application
Apply knowledge to advanced operations, risk management, and aeronautical decision-making. Topic: Emergency Equipment.
- Immediate feedback
- Answer explanations
- Account progress tracking
Why Take a Quiz?
Quizzes reinforce key concepts, identify knowledge gaps, and build confidence for real-world decisions. Quiz material is representative of the information provided here and is not based on or sourced from the Federal Aviation Administration test bank.
Emergency Equipment Conclusion
- According to the National Search and Rescue Plan, "The life expectancy of an injured survivor decreases as much as 80% during the first 24 hours, while the chances of survival of uninjured survivors rapidly diminish after the first 3 days"
- An Air Force Review of 325 SAR missions conducted during a 23-month period revealed that "Time works against people who experience distress but are not on a flight plan, since 36 hours normally pass before family concern initiates an (alert)"
- Consider the type of flying you are doing and think about investing in a Aviation Crash Kit [Amazon], just in case
- Remember to incorporate the weight of survival equipment when completing the aircraft's weight and balance.
- Check out AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association)'s Survive: Beyond the Forced Landing course for more information
- Although not emergency equipment, pilots should consider wearing closed-toed shoes, long pants, sleeved shirts with conventional fabrics, and carrying a jacket or sweatshirt when appropriate - considering overnight temperatures - to protect the pilot in the event of a ditch
- Consider reviewing the AOPA's Survival Safety Resources.
- Listen to AOPA's "Trapped in the Wreckage" for a real-world account of an engine failure over remote forest and a pilot's 54-hour wait for rescue after the crash.
- Still looking for something? Continue searching:
Emergency Equipment References
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) - Mastering Ballistic Parachute Systems Maintenance.
- Federal Aviation Administration - Pilot/Controller Glossary.
- Federal Aviation Regulations (91.409) Inspections.
- Federal Aviation Regulations (91.513) Emergency Equipment.
- Federal Aviation Regulations (91.509) Survival equipment for over-water operations.
- CFI Notebook.net - Emergency Transmitter Locator (ELT).
- CFI Notebook.net - Search and Rescue.
- FAA - General Aviation Survival.
- OPNAVINST 3710.7U (7.1.1.2) Life rafts.
- OPNAVINST 3710.7U (8.2.2) Life rafts.
- Pilot Workshops - Survival Gear.