Cockpit Doors

[Dog One]

Understand that Saab, Dash 8 and Brasilia aircraft are all being fitted with new doors. Heard the other day that one operator of Brasilias has one with only 28 seats, and therefore doesn't have to be modified as the requirement is 30 or more seats.

Whilst I understand that a line must be drawn in the sand, surely this requirement is a wee bit stupid, in that the same aircraft with 30 seats needs the door, and the one with 28 doesn't. What difference does two seats make.

It would appear that we seem to have many variables with regulations requiring what equipment is required to be installed in turbine aircraft. CAO 20.18 uses >15,000 kgs or more than 10 passengers, and used on RPT operations. Which means aircraft like the Bandit has to have GPWS fitted. Saab's and Dash 8 aircraft need TCAS, Brasilia's are exempt.

It would appear that some sort of standards need to be applied to all these requirements.

What are Pruners thoughts?

[chief wiggum]

My understanding of the EGPWS requirement is that it was brought on as a knee-jerk reaction (fairly common nowadays) to the Monarch Airlines Crash at Young, NSW.
The aircraft that crashed was a PA-31. The requirement came into effect after this crash as it was thought that GRWS would stop these types of crashes. CASA introduced this legislation but only to apply to aircraft with a pax seating capacity of 10 or more.

Since the PA31 is a 10 seat aircraft, which means a PAX capacity of 9, then the law does not apply to them.... yet it is THIS a/c type which was responsible for the legislation ....

Go figure ?

No one ever said that wisdom was REQUIRED to work at CASA.

[Sheep Guts]

When I operated Otters in Jamaica there were no cockpit doors or very insecure ones. I felt at ease though, as nearly every passenger I carried had a concealed weapon, and the requirement to declare weapons prior to boarding didnt seem to be enforced ( no baggage scanners or searches domestic only).




:)
Sheep

[Chocks Away]

Yep, new "you-beaut" doors on our Dash fleet now.

[Kanga767]

I have to admit it's hard to find the legislation that defines this, so will take a guess until someone can point me in the right direction.

I would guess that the definition of 30 seats or more would be as the aircraft is certified on its country of origin TCDS, and not how the particular operator chooses to configure it. Thus I would say that an EMB120 configured to 28 seats is still certified to take 32 (if I remember correctly) and thus will still require a hardened cockpit door.

How this would be affected if the aircraft were a freighter remains a mystery. Do airbags and parcels pose a threat?


K

[Dog One]

I have been told that the ruling apply's to how the aircraft is registered in Australia, ie 28 or 30 seats. I believe, although I haven't seen the aircraft, that there were only a few configured as 28 seats with the toilet and gallery at the rear. It just seems stupid to me that similar models configured as 30 seaters have hardened doors fitted and this one doesn't. It must be a pain for the operator and their crews to have two different SOP's for the same aircraft.