PDA

View Full Version : Infant seat belts


KeyPilot
1st Apr 2021, 10:38
I plan to take my infant (<2yo) son flying as an "extra" passenger over and above the seat count of the aircraft, seated in the back on my wife's lap, as one is lawfully entitled to do and indeed as is a daily occurrence on airliners.

Problem is: where to buy an infant seat belt? As these are common items I would have though it would be cheap and easy to source one. Not a bit of it - I have tried Amazon, all the main pilot shops, random Googling, all to no avail.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks,
KP

Jhieminga
1st Apr 2021, 14:29
My initial guess would be to check Transair pilot shop or Sporty's, if they don't have it, I'm not sure it exists (and I'm sure you checked those). A quick Google showed some seatbelt extenders (including here; https://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/ap/seatbelts_belts.html) but no infant seatbelts. An extender is not what you want of course as it would crush your son in case of a rapid deceleration.
How about an infant carrier that your wife could use while seated, so that your son is seated on her lap but 'attached' to her, while your wife is strapped in.

RatherBeFlying
1st Apr 2021, 15:52
My little ones were always in a car seat when in a car, small aircraft or airliner.

This was a survivable accident for everybody but one:

Fatal Injuries to Unrestrained Infant (https://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2012/a12q0216/a12q0216.html)

Pilot DAR
1st Apr 2021, 18:17
I've never heard of child/infant seatbelts for aircraft. Infants may be carried on a passenger's lap (not belted in with them) subject to national aviation regulations. Aircraft seatbelts are required to be TSO approved, and the TSO (C22g) does not mention child or infant belts, so I presume there is not TSO for them, therefore "other" seatbelts would not meet the TSO, and are ineligible for use in an airplane.

I too carried my kids. Each in their own seat belted in from 4 years old and up, and my infant daughter in a car child seat, belted in to a seat. If you find a seatbelt which is approved (FAA/CAA/EASA) for this type of use, please do post about it here, it'll be worth knowing about, but I won't be surprised if none are there to be found...

KeyPilot
2nd Apr 2021, 09:45
I've never heard of child/infant seatbelts for aircraft. Infants may be carried on a passenger's lap (not belted in with them) subject to national aviation regulations. Aircraft seatbelts are required to be TSO approved, and the TSO (C22g) does not mention child or infant belts, so I presume there is not TSO for them, therefore "other" seatbelts would not meet the TSO, and are ineligible for use in an airplane.

I too carried my kids. Each in their own seat belted in from 4 years old and up, and my infant daughter in a car child seat, belted in to a seat. If you find a seatbelt which is approved (FAA/CAA/EASA) for this type of use, please do post about it here, it'll be worth knowing about, but I won't be surprised if none are there to be found...

EVERY airline has infant seatbelts, which they hand out to pax with infants...

KeyPilot
2nd Apr 2021, 09:48
My little ones were always in a car seat when in a car, small aircraft or airliner.

This was a survivable accident for everybody but one:

Fatal Injuries to Unrestrained Infant (https://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2012/a12q0216/a12q0216.html)

RBF sounds sobering. I tried to view the link but it was broken - please could you re-post?

On the other hand, in the Kegworth air disaster, a lap infant survived whilst his or her parent died

I agree car seat is in principle best, only question is if they are compatible with aircraft harnesses. I am going to investigate with the a/c I fly!

Thanks all

Jhieminga
2nd Apr 2021, 09:55
I think that the problem with that link is on the server side, the website seems to have a security issue. Hopefully fixed soon.

Pilot DAR
2nd Apr 2021, 11:29
EVERY airline has infant seatbelts, which they hand out to pax with infants...

My wife and I traveled on a number of airlines with our infant daughter, at the time, and were never offered one (and I admit, did not ask either). After a quick search, I see that there is a "CARES" belt system which can be purchased. My search also suggests that if the airlines are providing something, it's most likely an approved seatbelt extension, just being used as an independent belt for the infant. I'm all for seatbelt use (having ripped one out of an airplane myself), so if there's a way to secure an infant which meets the requirements, and does not involve sharing a seatbelt, I'm in favour....

Any seatbelt on an aircraft requires approval, which is somewhat involved. I also don't see any reference as to a standard for an infant seatbelt to be approved to. I make STC approved cargo nets, but I cannot easily get approval to reweb seatbelts, even though I can buy the approved webbing, and otherwise the process is the same as the cargo nets I can make - except the required TSO tag for the seatbelt. I have discussed with the regulator that rewebbing a seatbelt to the standard is a maintenance activity, but it still requires the TSO approval for aircraft use, which I cannot provide.

Big Pistons Forever
2nd Apr 2021, 17:24
I had this same discussion with a PPL student of mine. I told him that IMO the only truly safe way to carry an infant in a light aircraft is to use a proper car seat secured with the aircraft seatbelt. This of course uses a seat position and so you can’t carry an infant as an “extra” passenger.

Personally I think just because the practice of not counting infants carried in a persons lap as “passengers” is legal, does not make it safe.

I can think of 2 light aircraft accidents where the only survivor was an infant in a secured car seat located in the back seat of a 4 place airplane

TheOddOne
3rd Apr 2021, 05:53
Your insurance company might have something to say, too. Policies normally limit the number of people who can be carried.

I once attended a lecture given by Captain Al Haynes, who was the skipper aboard the DC10 that crashed at Sioux City. He said that one of the flight attendants who survived then spent a lifetime campaigning to have the concession whereby infants can be carried on laps removed, after she witnessed an infant dying in horrific circumstances. I've carried my younger 2 children in light aircraft as infants in proper car seats. When children get a bit older, their car 'booster' seats can also be used, effectively strapped in.

My final word about strapping to the lap of an adult... PLEASE DON'T DO IT!

TOO

Buswinker
3rd Apr 2021, 10:23
Seatbelts for lap infants are not the norm in North America (indeed I believe they may be banned there), for those who are wondering how every airline has them and simultaneously you’ve never seen one

RatherBeFlying
4th Apr 2021, 00:19
TSB link now works

My little ones were always in a car seat when in a car, small aircraft or airliner.

This was a survivable accident for everybody but one:

Fatal Injuries to Unrestrained Infant (https://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2012/a12q0216/a12q0216.html)

NutLoose
4th Apr 2021, 21:35
https://shop.generation-global.com/child-seat-belts


https://sproutsenroute.com/kicked-off-flight/

Jhieminga
9th Apr 2021, 19:45
I was looking for something else but found some interesting notes in Part-NCO, see NCO.IDE.A.140 and the related AMC for that section. It contains a specific explanation of what's acceptable as a Child Restraint Device (CRD), which is mandatory for persons under 24 months old.