CAT.OP.MPA.200 Special refuelling or defuelling of the aircraft

REFUELLING WITH AN ENGINE RUNNING — AEROPLANES

(a)Refuelling with an engine running should only be conducted:

(1)when there are no other sources of electrical or pneumatic power to start the engine if shut down;

(2)in accordance with the specific procedures established by the type certificate (TC) holder of the aeroplane;

(3)with aeroplanes that use JET A, JET A-1 or TS-1 fuel types or any other fuel type that has a flash point above 38 °C and is approved by the operators’ competent authority;

(4)with no passengers embarking, on board, or disembarking;

(5)with permission from the aerodrome operator; and

(6)in the presence of the aerodrome rescue and firefighting services (RFFSs).

(b)The operator should assess the risks associated with refuelling with an engine running and establish appropriate procedures to be followed by all involved personnel, such as flight crew, cabin crew, and ground operations personnel. These procedures should be specified in the OM.

OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES for REFUELLING WITH AN ENGINE RUNNING — AEROPLANES

(a)To reduce the likelihood of conducting refuelling with an engine running, the operator should include in the MEL an operational procedure for dispatch criteria in case of an unserviceable APU, if applicable, to prevent a flight from being dispatched to an aerodrome where no suitable ground support equipment is available.

(b)Appropriate training should be provided to flight crew and maintenance/ground operations personnel that are involved in refuelling with one engine running, as well as to cabin crew, if present on board.

REFUELLING WITH THE ENGINE(S) RUNNING AND/OR ROTORS TURNING — HELICOPTERS

(a)Refuelling with the engine(s) running and/or rotors turning should only be conducted:

(1)with no passengers or technical-crew members embarking or disembarking;

(2)if the operator of the aerodrome/operating site allows such operations;

(3)in accordance with any specific procedures and limitations in the AFM;

(4)using JET A or JET A-1 fuel types; and

(5)in the presence of the appropriate rescue and firefighting (RFF) facilities or equipment.

(b)In addition, operational procedures in the OM should specify that at least the following precautions are taken:

(1)all necessary information should be exchanged in advance with the aerodrome operator, operating-site operator, and refuelling operator;

(2)the procedures to be used by crew members should be defined;

(3)the procedures to be used by the operator’s ground operations personnel that may be in charge of refuelling or assisting in emergency evacuations should be described;

(4)the operator’s training programmes for crew members and for the operator’s ground operations personnel should be described;

(5)the minimum distance between the helicopter turning parts and the refuelling vehicle or installations should be defined when the refuelling takes place outside an aerodrome or at an aerodrome where there are no such limitations;

(6)besides any RFFSs that are required to be available by aerodrome regulations, an additional handheld fire extinguisher with the equivalent of 5 kg of dry powder should be immediately available and ready for use;

(7)a means for a two-way communication between the crew and the person in charge of refuelling should be defined and established;

(8)if fuel vapour is detected inside the helicopter, or any other hazard arises, refuelling/defuelling should be stopped immediately;

(9)one pilot should stay at the controls, constantly monitor the refuelling, and be ready to shut off the engines and evacuate at all times; and

(10)any additional precautions should be taken, as determined by the risk assessment.

OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES — PASSENGERS ON BOARD for REFUELLING WITH THE ENGINE(S) RUNNING AND/OR ROTORS TURNING — HELICOPTERS In addition to AMC3 CAT.OP.MPA.200, for refuelling with passengers on board, operational procedures in the OM should specify that at least the following precautions are taken:

(a)the positioning of the helicopter and the corresponding helicopter evacuation strategy should be defined taking into account the wind as well as the refuelling facilities or vehicles;

(b)on a heliport, the ground area beneath the exits that are intended for emergency evacuation should be kept clear;

(c)an additional passenger briefing as well as instructions should be defined, and the ‘No smoking’ signs should be on unless ‘No smoking’ placards are installed;

(d)interior lighting should be set to enable identification of emergency exits;

(e)the use of doors during refuelling should be defined: doors on the refuelling side should remain closed, while doors on the opposite side should remain unlocked or, weather permitting, open, unless otherwise specified in the AFM;

(f)at least one suitable person capable of implementing emergency procedures for firefighting, communications, as well as for initiating and directing an evacuation, should remain at a specified location; this person should not be the qualified pilot at the controls or the person performing the refuelling; and

(g)unless passengers are regularly trained in emergency evacuation procedures, an additional crew member or ground crew member should be assigned to assist in the rapid evacuation of the passengers.

REFUELLING OR DEFUELLING WITH PASSENGERS EMBARKING, ON BOARD OR DISEMBARKING

(a)When passengers are embarking, on board, or disembarking, an aircraft should not be refuelled/defuelled with avgas (aviation gasoline) or wide-cut type fuel or a mixture of these types of fuel.

(b)For all other types of fuel, the necessary precautions should be taken, and the aircraft should be properly manned by qualified personnel that should be ready to initiate and direct an evacuation of the aircraft by the most practical and expeditious means available.

OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES WITH PASSENGERS EMBARKING, ON BOARD OR DISEMBARKING — AEROPLANES

(a)When refuelling/defuelling with passengers on board, ground servicing activities and work inside the aeroplane, such as catering and cleaning, should be conducted in such a manner that they do not create a hazard and allow emergency evacuation through those aisles and exits that are intended for emergency evacuation.

(b)The deployment of integral aeroplane stairs or the opening of emergency exits are not necessarily a prerequisite to refuelling.

(c)Operational procedures should specify that at least the following precautions are taken:

(1)one qualified person should remain at a specified location during refuelling/defuelling operations with passengers on board, and be capable of using emergency procedures for fire protection and firefighting, communications, as well as for initiating and directing an evacuation;

(2)two-way communication should be established and remain available through the aeroplane’s intercommunications system, or other suitable means, between the ground crew that supervises the refuelling and the qualified personnel on board the aeroplane; all involved personnel should remain within easy reach of the intercommunications system;

(3)crew, personnel, and passengers should be warned that refuelling/defuelling will take place;

(4)the ‘FASTEN SEAT BELT’ signs should be off;

(5)‘NO SMOKING’ signs should be on, together with interior lighting to allow the identification of emergency exits;

(6)passengers should be instructed to unfasten their seat belts and refrain from smoking;

(7)the minimum required number of cabin crew should be on board and prepared for an immediate emergency evacuation;

(8)if fuel vapour is detected inside the aeroplane, or any other hazard arises, refuelling/defuelling should be stopped immediately;

(9)the ground area beneath the exits that are intended for emergency evacuation, as well as slide deployment areas, should be kept clear where stairs are not in position for use in the event of evacuation; and

(10)provision is made for a safe and rapid evacuation.

OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES FOR REFUELLING WITH PASSENGERS DISEMBARKING OR EMBARKING — HELICOPTERS WITH THE ENGINE(S) AND ROTORS STOPPED When the helicopter engine(s) and rotors are stopped, the efficiency and speed of passengers disembarking from and re-embarking on board helicopters should be such that disembarking before refuelling and re-embarking after refuelling is the general practice, except for HEMS or air ambulance operations. However, if such operations are needed, the operator should refer to AMC3 CAT.OP.MPA.200 and AMC4 CAT.OP.MPA.200. Operational procedures to be described in the OM should specify that at least the relevant precautions referred to in the aforementioned AMC are taken.

REFUELLING OR DEFUELLING WITH WIDE-CUT FUEL Refuelling/defuelling with wide-cut fuel should be conducted only if the operator has established appropriate procedures, taking into account the high risk of using wide-cut fuel types.

OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES for REFUELLING WITH AN ENGINE RUNNING — AEROPLANES For the purpose of refuelling with an engine running, the operator’s procedures need to be aligned with the specific procedures laid down in the AFM. In case there are no specific procedures for refuelling with an engine running available in the AFM, the operator and the manufacturer may wish to cooperate to establish such procedures.

RISK ASSESSMENT for REFUELLING WITH THE ENGINE(S) RUNNING AND/OR ROTORS TURNING — HELICOPTERS The risk assessment should explain why it is not practical to refuel with the engine(s) and rotors stopped, identify any additional hazards, and describe how the additional risks are controlled. Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) and helicopter offshore operations (HOFO) are typical operations where the benefits should outweigh the risks if mitigation measures are taken. Guidance on safe refuelling practices is contained in ICAO Doc 9137 Airport Services Manual, Parts 1 and 8. The operators’ risk assessment may include, but not be limited to, the following risks, hazards and mitigation measures:

(a)risk related to refuelling with rotors turning;

(b)risk related to the shutting down of the engines, including the risk of failures during start-up;

(c)environmental conditions, such as wind limitations, displacement of exhaust gases, and blade sailing;

(d)risk related to human factors and fatigue management, especially for single-pilot operations for long periods of time;

(e)risk mitigation, such as the safety features of the fuel installation, RFF capability, number of personnel members available, ease of emergency evacuation of the helicopter, etc.;

(f)assessment of the use of radio transmitting equipment;

(g)determination of the use of passenger seat belts;

(h)review of the portable electronic device (PED) policy; and

(i)if passengers are to disembark, consideration of their disembarking before rather than after the refuelling; and

(j)if passengers are to embark, consideration of their embarking after rather than before the refuelling.

PROCEDURES FOR REFUELLING/DEFUELLING WITH WIDE-CUT FUEL

(a)‘Wide-cut fuel’ (designated JET B, JP-4 or AVTAG) is an aviation turbine fuel that falls between gasoline and kerosene in the distillation range and consequently, compared to kerosene (JET A or JET A1), it has the properties of higher volatility (vapour pressure), lower flash point and lower freezing point.

(b)Wherever possible, the operator should avoid the use of wide-cut fuel types. If a situation arises such that only wide-cut fuels are available for refuelling/defuelling, operators should be aware that mixtures of wide-cut fuels and kerosene turbine fuels can result in the air/fuel mixture in the tank being in the combustible range at ambient temperatures. The extra precautions set out below are advisable to avoid arcing in the tank due to electrostatic discharge. The risk of this type of arcing can be minimised by the use of a static dissipation additive in the fuel. When this additive is present in the proportions stated in the fuel specification, the normal fuelling precautions set out below are considered adequate.

(c)Wide-cut fuel is considered to be ‘involved’ when it is being supplied or when it is already present in aircraft fuel tanks.

(d)When wide-cut fuel has been used, this should be recorded in the technical log. The next two uplifts of fuel should be treated as though they too involved the use of wide-cut fuel.

(e)When refuelling/defuelling with turbine fuels not containing a static dissipator, and where wide-cut fuels are involved, a substantial reduction on fuelling flow rate is advisable. Reduced flow rate, as recommended by fuel suppliers and/or aeroplane manufacturers, has the following benefits:

(1)it allows more time for any static charge build-up in the fuelling equipment to dissipate before the fuel enters the tank;

(2)it reduces any charge which may build up due to splashing; and

(3)until the fuel inlet point is immersed, it reduces misting in the tank and consequently the extension of the flammable range of the fuel.

(f)The flow rate reduction necessary is dependent upon the fuelling equipment in use and the type of filtration employed on the aeroplane fuelling distribution system. It is difficult, therefore, to quote precise flow rates. Reduction in flow rate is advisable whether pressure fuelling or over-wing fuelling is employed.

(g)With over-wing fuelling, splashing should be avoided by making sure that the delivery nozzle extends as far as practicable into the tank. Caution should be exercised to avoid damaging bag tanks with the nozzle.