FAR 23.2535 — Safety Equipment
FAR 23.2535 requires safety and survival equipment on Part 23 aircraft to be reliable, accessible, identifiable, and clearly marked for operation.
FAR 23.2535 sets the airworthiness standard for safety and survival equipment installed on normal category airplanes certified under Part 23. If the operating rules elsewhere in the FARs require a piece of safety or survival gear to be on board (think items like fire extinguishers, life vests, life rafts, emergency locator transmitters, or first aid kits), this regulation controls how that equipment must be presented in the airplane.
Specifically, the equipment must be:
- Reliable — it has to work when it's needed.
- Readily accessible — a crewmember or passenger can get to it quickly in an emergency.
- Easily identifiable — you can tell what the item is at a glance.
- Clearly marked to identify its method of operation — instructions for use must be obvious.
Why it matters operationally: in an emergency, you have seconds, not minutes. A life raft buried under baggage or a fire extinguisher with faded instructions defeats the purpose of carrying it. As PIC, you should verify during preflight that required safety gear is stowed properly and its operating instructions are legible.