EASA Rules on Oxygen use

[vapilot2004]

Hello all,

Just wondering about the EASA rules regarding oxygen use in an airliner (or otherwise PAX for hire craft).

According to the US FAR's, above FL250, anytime a member of the flight crew leaves the cockpit, the remaining pilot will go on oxygen as a precaution. While I have read this is not always followed, it is the law in the US and I think Canada too.

I tried to extract the information from the easa.eu.int website, but gave up after searching and getting hits on ebay.com (no kidding) in the results page. Can anyone shed some light on the regs in Europe regarding flight crew and oxygen.


Thanks
vapilot:ok:

[LGB]

JAR/EASA companies usually have a rule that says at least one crew member will be using oxygen all the time spent over FL410. I believe this originates in FAR121, and is adopted by European companies in general, as I have only found it in operations manuals, not in the actual regulations.

I have seen no mention of the >FL250 leaving cockpit rule you are speaking of, neither in regulations nor ops manuals. There is another FL250 rule, however, requirements for pax oxygen above FL250. This I believe originates in FAR/JAR25 aircraft certification, and also that this is the reasons some aircraft have max ceilings lowered to FL250 (to save the weight and cost of pax oxygen on certain turboprops)

Another interesting point: Check the approval of your oxygen mask the next time you fly. Some of them are approved only to 35,000 feet. I have found this type on a FL510 certified aircraft, factory approved and installed.

[vapilot2004]

Thanks LGB. Good info.

What you are saying is exactly as in the JAA rules - no requirement for supplemental oxygen during normal flight ops in a pressurized airliner/aircraft for hire except above FL410.

The FAA regs for this are in part 91 , 121 and 135.

The FAR states:

(4) If one pilot leaves a pilot duty station of an aircraft when operating at altitudes above 25,000 feet MSL, the remaining pilot at the controls shall put on and use an approved oxygen mask until the other pilot returns to the pilot duty station of the aircraft.

This applies to GA & commercial aircraft for hire, commuter and transport category (airlines) as well. Maybe a reconsideration of the EU rules and company ops is in order now. Now, I know some US carriers crewmembers don't always follow the rule, but it is the law here in the US (and possibly Canada).

My request for info post was hanging here awhile - I was beginning to wonder if the EU O2 rules were a well-kept secret - -while waiting for an answer here I had the great-fun of wading through multiple PDF's created by the JAA search engine - maybe no pilot members of pprune operating in Europe knew the rules - too hard to find them - :8 -

Good advice about checking your masks 'ceiling'. - wouldn't want to be at FL450 cabin press (even for a moment) with an FL310 rated mask huh ?

Meanwhile, we'll need to wait and see what the reports tell us - and let's hope more pilots adhere to the O2 rules whatever the outcome.

regards,
vapilot

[LGB]

I do not have the EASA regulations. (Will I ever?)

But I do have JAR OPS 1, ammendment 3 (01.12.2001), I think it has been amended a few times after that though.

Doing a search on the text "41" (to get 410, 41,000 41 000 and 41.000 or however the spelling) I get hits like "141 to 165 kt" (aircraft category) and a few chapters containing 41. But nothing with FL410.

Searching for "oxygen" reveals a deal more:

A lot about supplemental and first aid oxygen, oxygen briefing, smoking and oxygen, crew oxygen when cabin is above 10000'-30min or 13000'. It says above FL250, mask must be quick donning type. Then there is the ->13000' max four minute rule (governing the amount of oxygen carried). More than one pilot flight crew and no cabin crew: At least on portable oxygen/goggles (PBE) must be readily avbl in flight deck.

Apart from that, some other listings of training, oxygen as dangerous goods etc.

As for the later versions of JAR OPS 1 and EASA documents, I cannot help, but to my knowledge, this hasn't changed.

The "Oxygen above FL410 by at least on pilot" which is NOT to be found in JAR OPS 1 (amdt. 3), is in the FOM (8.9.2. (d) ) of the company I currently fly for, as it has been for the operations manuals of the last three companies I have flown with, all JAR OPS 1.