FAR 23.2315 — Means of Egress
FAR 23.2315 sets design rules for Part 23 airplane exits, evacuation, emergency egress, and in-flight bailout for aerobatic aircraft. Study guide for pilots.
FAR 23.2315 is an airworthiness design standard under Part 23 (small airplanes). It tells manufacturers how exits and evacuation paths must be designed so occupants can get out quickly in an emergency. While this is a certification rule rather than an operating rule, pilots should understand it because it explains why your airplane's exits are arranged, marked, and operated the way they are.
With the cabin set up for takeoff or landing, the airplane must be designed to:
- Facilitate rapid and safe evacuation after an emergency landing — ditching is excluded for level 1, level 2, and single-engine level 3 airplanes.
- Provide means of egress (openings, exits, or emergency exits) that can be readily located and opened from inside and outside, using a simple and obvious method that is marked on both sides of the airplane.
- Provide easy access to any emergency exits.
In addition, airplanes approved for aerobatics must have a means to egress the airplane in flight (i.e., bail out), which is why aerobatic aircraft typically pair jettisonable canopies or quick-release doors with parachutes.