aircraft cut in area

[downwind]

Dear all,

What does a aircraft cut in area look like from outside of an aircraft? do the like of the boeing's and airbus's have them??? Do all all aeroplanes have cut in areas big and small????

Thank you.

[nick14]

They are usually a red dashed line with the word "Cut here in emergency" written next to them.

As far as I am aware most modern aircraft have them, might be something in the certification rules that require them but you would have to look that up to be sure.

Nick

[happybiker]

Break in marks are in the Ops rules not the aircraft cert rules. See extract from EU-OPS below. Also note the wording "if designated areas..." etc. This means you do not have to have break in markings but if you do they must conform to 1.800.

OPS 1.800

Marking of break-in points

An operator shall ensure that, if designated areas of the fuselage suitable for break-in by rescue crews in emergency are marked on an aeroplane, such areas shall be marked as shown below. The colour of the markings shall be red or yellow, and if necessary they shall be outlined in white to contrast with the background. If the corner markings are more than 2 metres apart, intermediate lines 9 cm x 3 cm shall be inserted so that there is no more than 2 metres between adjacent marks.

[inbalance]

Break in marks are in the Ops rules not the aircraft cert rules. See extract from EU-OPS below. Also note the wording "if designated areas..." etc. This means you do not have to have break in markings but if you do they must conform to 1.800.

Got a Cat 2 Finding during a SAFE ramp check in spain because we didn´t had cut markings at all.

Cessna Citation Jet.

Inbalance

[downwind]

thanks guys, but does anyone have a picture of this from airliners.net or smething similar etc... thank you.

[Big Bad D]

As stated in OPS 1.800, it is not a requirement that aircraft must have break-in areas, but that if the aircraft is designed having such specific emergency points then they must be marked according to the requirements.

Not all aircraft types and models are designed with a specific "weak point" introduced on the fuselage structure for this purpose; and there is no requirement to necessarily do so. For this reason, there may be no specific area for break-in designated and aircraft can be operated, subject to specific national regulations, without any break-in markings.

This is one of the points that should be fully clarified for each aircraft being operated in an operational compliance checklist, for example:
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/fod200911.pdf
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/1196/20081126EU-OPSKandLStatementOfCompliance.pdf

[happybiker]

BBD

OPS 1.800 does not say "if the aircraft is designed having such specific areas...."

This EU OPS rule originates from the followingICAO Annex 6 Part 1 again no mention of design.

6.2.4 Marking of break-in points
6.2.4.1 If areas of the fuselage suitable for break-in by
rescue crews in emergency are marked on an aeroplane such
areas shall be marked as shown below (see figure following).
The colour of the markings shall be red or yellow, and if
necessary they shall be outlined in white to contrast with the
background.

Inbalance,

I would challenge the finding and seek assistance from your Regulatory Ops inspector as they cleared you to operate without such markings.

[Old Smokey]

Odd that no-one has mentioned it but aircraft also have internal cut-out points. They're not marked, but are a part of crew training.

Regards,

Old Smokey

[MMEMatty]

I seem to remember from my ATPL studies that Cut - In areas are not structurally weakened in any way, all it signifies is that there are no Electric cables, Hydraulic / Fuel Lines etc in the way.

[Mr @ Spotty M]

Just a little info l would like to add, my company no longer has cut-out markings as we are no longer required to do so, but when talking to airport fire service on a hangar visit they told me they are no use.
The reason is that the cutting gear they use gets snagged on the a/c insulation, so l guess as the cut in area is so small, they will hack in to an easier area.