26.420 Emergency equipment for flight over water

(a)Operators of small helicopters and large helicopters that are required to comply with the requirements of point CAT.IDE.H.300 of Annex IV, point NCC.IDE.H.227 of Annex VI or point SPO.IDE.H.199 of Annex VIII to Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, shall ensure that each inflated life raft has a means to hold it near the helicopter, and an additional means to keep the inflated life raft attached to the helicopter further away at a distance that would not pose a danger to the life raft itself nor to the persons on board. In the event that the helicopter totally submerges, both of those life raft retention means shall break before the helicopter submerges, even when the life raft is empty.

(b)Operators of small helicopters and large helicopters that are required, in accordance with point CAT.IDE.H.320(a) of Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, to be designed for landing on water or certified for ditching, shall ensure that stowage provisions are provided that accommodate one life preserver for each helicopter occupant within easy reach of each occupant while seated, unless occupants are always required to wear them whilst on board the helicopter.

(c)Operators of large helicopters that are required by point SPA.HOFO.165(d) of Annex V to Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 to have one or more life rafts installed, shall ensure that the life raft(s):

(1)is (are) remotely deployable, with the means to deploy the life raft(s), located within easy reach of the flight crew, the occupants of the passenger cabin and any survivors in the water, with the helicopter in an upright floating or capsized position;

(2)can be reliably deployed with the helicopter in any reasonably foreseeable floating attitude, including capsize, and in the substantiated sea conditions for capsize resistance.