AAIB Bulletin: 5/2021 G-ZBKF AAIB-26975
Safety Recommendation: 2021-017
Safety Recommendation Text
2021-017: It is recommended that the Civil Aviation Authority require that passenger seats in commercial air transport aircraft are designed to minimise the chance of portable electronic devices becoming crushed in mechanisms.
CAA latest update
The UK CAA design and certification specialists remain active with their attendance with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International Seat Committee meetings to discuss the entrapment of PED’s against the minimum performance standards for seats.
With the view to taking recently the published recommended practise from SAE Aircraft Seat Design Guidance and Clarifications – ARP5526 Rev F, section 3.30 (object entrapment) and including as a requirement within the SAE Performance Standard for Seats in Civil Rotorcraft, Transport Aircraft, and General Aviation Aircraft - AS8049E, which would be referenced in a future revision of Certification Specification – European Technical Standard Order (CS-ETSO) (ETSO-C127).
The CAA have issued CS-ETSO to amendment 17, which introduced a new revision of seat TSO within the UK system (C127c), which references ARP5526 Rev D. This aligns the CAA with both EASA and the FAA. Note that object entrapment is not introduced until ARP5526 Rev F, so this update has not included any requirements relating to object entrapment.
There has been limited progress on the actions regarding implementation of updated Certification Specification (CS) requirements over the last 12 months. This is partly due to the limited attendance of other regulatory Authorities at the monthly cabin safety technical coordination meetings. Full engagement with these meetings has now restarted which has enabled us to progress this topic and EASA are also now willing to discuss their plans for introducing rulemaking (potentially as an AMC to CS 25.601 General).
The UK CAA will continue to monitor PED entrapment events through the requirements of assimilated Regulation (EU) No. 376/2014, through its engagement in the SAE seat committee and discussion with other regulators.
Next update due
May 2026