SPAES introduces life raft deployment upgrade for EC155 helicopters
The addition of a third life raft deployment handle will enhance safety during water ditching scenarios
Aircraft interiors specialist SPAES, an EASA Part 21J Design Organisation, has announced the release of a supplemental type certificate (STC) for the EC155 helicopter, introducing additional life raft deployment handles to enhance safety during water ditching scenarios. The modification meets the requirements of Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/1254, specifically Part 26, Section 26.420 on emergency equipment for operations over water.
Designed for EC155 helicopters engaged in helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) and offshore missions, the upgrade applies to aircraft already certified for instrument flight rules (IFR) and equipped with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) life rafts beneath the passenger doors. Previously, rafts could only be deployed from the cockpit or via a single external handle between the crew and passenger doors.
The new SPAES STC adds a third external handle directly to each life raft container, enabling survivors to deploy rafts even if the helicopter has capsized.
Fabian Passler, the project manager at SPAES, commented: “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. Adding a low-positioned deployment handle enables water survivors to activate the life rafts even in the most critical situations, including a capsized helicopter.”
SPAES recently installed pulse lights on an AS332 helicopter to boost safety and visibility.