10 passengers board a helicopter for a Commercial Air Transport flight to an island. 7 of the passengers are considered to be PRMs (Passengers with Reduced Mobility). The commander may...
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A
commence the flight because the number of PRMs does not exceed 80% of the total passenger count.
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B
commence the flight, provided that all PRMs are informed about how to operate the seat belts and the location of life jackets.
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C
NOT commence the flight as the number of PRMs exceeds the number of passengers capable of assisting them in the event of an emergency.
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D
NOT commence the flight as an overwater flight is a potential threat for PRMs in the event of an emergency.
071.01.02.04.10: Explain the requirements for carrying persons with reduced mobility.
Looking at the regulation below, we can see that there are some non-specific rules about making sure the aircraft and occupants are safe, given the carriage of PRMs, which would naturally include a limit of how many PRMs can be on board, but this is an operator chosen limit, as long as it is approved by the authority.
Therefore, there is no hard and fast limit, but it relatively easy to say that 70% of a 10 passenger helicopter being PRMs would make any evacuation much more difficult, and therefore less safe, with only 3 able-bodied passengers able to assist more than double that amount of PRMs. The highest proportion of PRMs to able-bodied passengers in airline policies we were able to find was 1:1.
The other options present are not correct:
- The "80%" rule does not exist.
- All passengers should always be briefed on how to operate seat belts and the location of life jackets.
- The overwater element does add some danger, but the same flight over land would be dangerous to perform with so many PRMs also.
EASA AIR OPS
Regulation (EU) No 965/2012
CAT.OP.MPA.155 Carriage of special categories of passengers (SCPs)
(a) Persons requiring special conditions, assistance and/or devices when carried on a flight shall be considered as SCPs including at least:
(1) persons with reduced mobility (PRMs) who, without prejudice to Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006, are understood to be any person whose mobility is reduced due to any physical disability, sensory or locomotory, permanent or temporary, intellectual disability or impairment, any other cause of disability, or age;
(2) infants and unaccompanied children; and
(3) deportees, inadmissible passengers or prisoners in custody.
(b) SCPs shall be carried under conditions that ensure the safety of the aircraft and its occupants according to procedures established by the operator.
(c) SCPs shall not be allocated, nor occupy, seats that permit direct access to emergency exits or where their presence could:
(1) impede crew members in their duties;
(2) obstruct access to emergency equipment; or
(3) impede the emergency evacuation of the aircraft.
(d) The commander shall be notified in advance when SCPs are to be carried on board.
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