[Peetwo]

POPINJAY TO THE RESCUE!!?? (yet again -   )

Via PJ bollocks media release HQ yesterday:

ATSB issues advisory notice to aircraft lifejacket manufacturers and certifying authorities



The ATSB has issued a Safety Advisory Notice to both aircraft lifejacket manufacturers and national aviation certification authorities encouraging them to provide guidance to aircraft operators about how to fit a constant wear lifejacket so that it does not interfere with the proper fitment of seatbelts.

The Safety Advisory Notice has been issued as part the ATSB’s on-going investigation into the mid-air collision of two scenic flight helicopters at the Gold Coast on 2 January this year.

During the course of the investigation the ATSB has identified a potentially common lack of understanding in the broader helicopter tourism community about how ‘constant wear’ lifejackets should be worn in conjunction with seatbelts.

“Our investigators have identified that some passengers’ seatbelts in both helicopters involved in this accident were not fitted correctly, in part due to interference from their lifejackets,” said ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell.

“However, it is very important to stress we have not attributed the outcomes from this tragic accident to the fitment of seatbelts and lifejacket interference, as the nature of the second helicopter’s collision with the sandbar would typically be non-survivable, and a range of other factors beyond seatbelts contribute to occupant safety in aircraft accidents.

“But our investigation has identified that there appears to be a broader issue across the scenic flight industry where there are misunderstandings as to how seatbelts and lifejackets should be worn.”

Mr Mitchell said an ATSB review of social media photos of passengers of helicopter tourism operations, both in Australia and internationally, established that incorrect fitment of seatbelts with constant wear pouch style lifejackets was prevalent.

Many relevant social media photos reviewed by the ATSB showed the seatbelt webbing or buckle was positioned above the lifejacket pouch or over it. This meant that the lap belt portion of the seatbelt was not low and tight across the passenger’s hips and was positioned either over the lifejacket, creating slack, or above the lifejacket, close to the passenger’s sternum increasing the risk of injury.

“This suggests there is a common lack of understanding in the helicopter tourism community, worldwide, about how to integrate constant wear lifejackets with seatbelts, so as not to reduce their effectiveness.”

Mr Mitchell said the ATSB has identified that lifejacket manufacturers and regulatory authorities have not provided any readily-available guidance to assist helicopter operators on how to position a pouch or yoke style constant wear lifejacket so as not to interfere with an aircraft seatbelt.

“Aviation lifejacket standards require operational instructions be provided in writing and on the lifejackets themselves. For constant wear lifejackets, it is reasonably foreseeable that they would be worn seated in an aircraft and while using the aircraft’s seatbelt. Yet there are no required instructions related to this in the relevant standards and the ATSB found no manufacturers opting to provide instructions.

“The ATSB encourages manufacturers of constant wear lifejackets to provide operating instructions and/or guidance material to operators of aircraft on how to wear and use a constant wear lifejacket with a seatbelt such that it does not interfere with the performance of the seatbelt during an accident,” he said.

“Further, the ATSB encourages certification authorities to modify lifejacket standards to include the requirement for instructions on how to wear constant wear lifejackets while seated and wearing a seatbelt.”

Read the Safety Advisory Notice: Fitment of constant wear lifejackets with seatbelts in aircraft

Publication Date
20/09/2023

And from the SAN: https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/saf...s-aircraft

What the ATSB found

Passenger photographs and footage from inside both helicopters identified that some passenger seatbelts were not fitted correctly. This was due, in part, to interference caused by the location of the constant wear pouch style lifejackets that were being worn by passengers. The operator’s pre-flight passenger safety briefing video also depicted incorrect use of the 4-point restraint while wearing the lifejacket. The operator’s ground crew, who had been assigned responsibility for the fitment of passenger seatbelts, also indicated in interview that they were not aware that fitting the seatbelt over or above the lifejacket may reduce its effectiveness.

To establish the extent of the issue the ATSB conducted a review of helicopter tourism operations in Australia and around the world through social media. The ATSB found that similar practices of incorrect fitment of seatbelts with constant wear pouch style lifejackets were prevalent. Many relevant social media photos reviewed by the ATSB (see Figure 4 for some examples) showed the seatbelt buckle was positioned above the lifejacket pouch or over it. This meant that the lap belt portion of the seatbelt was not low and tight across the passenger’s hips and the seatbelt buckle was positioned either over the lifejacket (creating slack) or above the lifejacket, close to the passenger’s sternum increasing the risk of injury. This suggests there is a common lack of understanding in the helicopter tourism community about how to integrate constant wear lifejackets with seatbelts, so as not to reduce their effectiveness. Although social media images reviewed by the ATSB predominately showed interference caused by a ‘pouch style’ constant wear lifejacket, the ‘yoke style’ constant wear lifejacket more often used by pilots and commercial passengers, was also shown to have the potential to interfere with the aircraft seatbelt.

For constant wear lifejackets, it is reasonably foreseeable that they would be worn seated in an aircraft and while using the aircraft’s seatbelt. The ATSB reviewed existing guidance from all known manufacturers of aviation constant wear lifejackets, as well as from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and a range of international aviation regulators. Beyond stating that lifejackets should not interfere with other aircraft equipment, lifejacket manufacturers and regulatory authorities have not provided any readily available guidance to assist helicopter operators on how to position a pouch or yoke style constant wear lifejacket so as not to interfere with an aircraft seatbelt. Additionally, there are no requirements to provide such instructions in the relevant standards.

Hmm...wonder why a 'critical' or 'significant' safety issue notice, accompanied by a safety recommendation, was not addressed directly to the Australian aviation regulator? Shirley this falls directly into the area of CASA's oversight and surveillance of EP's covered under CAO 20.11?

MTF...P2 

PS: Under CAO 20.11 the fitment of the life jackets on the pax is not, from my interpretation, actually required for the helo scenic flight ops, so this is a placebo measure only that has probably been encouraged by CASA without realising that they have inadvertently created a safety risk issue in the process.  Interesting scenario??