New emergency deployment handles improve survivability after water ditching and meet EASA Part-26 requirements
SPAES GmbH & Co. KG, an EASA Part 21J-approved Design Organization (DOA), has developed a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the installation of additional life raft deployment handles on the EC155 helicopter, ensuring compliance with Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/1254, specifically Part-26, Section 26.420 on emergency equipment for operations over water.
The modification applies to EC155 helicopters operated in HEMS and offshore missions and certified for IFR. These helicopters are already equipped with OEM-installed life rafts, mounted below the passenger doors on each side of the fuselage. Under the pre-modification configuration, the life rafts could be deployed either from the cockpit or via an external handle on the fuselage between crew and passenger doors.
To meet the latest airworthiness requirements for over-water operations, the SPAES STC introduces a third deployment handle on each side, installed directly on the life raft containers. This ensures the life rafts can also be deployed by survivors in the water, including in the event the helicopter has capsized.
Key modification details:
- Installation of one additional external handle per side, directly on the life raft containers
- The existing internal and external cable mechanisms remain unchanged
- Use of the original junction box that links the cockpit and external handles to the deployment cable
- Each new handle is installed on the lower fuselage (belly area) and marked with a black-yellow placard for high visibility
- An additional instruction placard provides clear operation steps for use in emergencies
“This STC ensures that operators of the EC155 are fully compliant with the latest safety regulations while significantly improving the survivability of crew and passengers in offshore scenarios,” says Project Manager Fabian Passler at SPAES GmbH & Co. KG. “Adding a low-positioned deployment handle enables water survivors to activate the life rafts even in the most critical situations, including a capsized helicopter.”
The modification is designed to be performed on both sides of the aircraft and does not interfere with the existing deployment mechanisms. Installation is carried out by a Part-145 certified maintenance organization commissioned by the operator.
The STC is now available through SPAES.
