FAR 91.513 — Emergency Equipment
FAR 91.513 requires fire extinguishers, first aid kits, crash axes, and megaphones aboard large airplanes. Learn the requirements for checkride success.
In Plain English
FAR 91.513 lists the emergency equipment required aboard certain airplanes (primarily large and multi-passenger aircraft operated under Part 91 Subpart F). It also sets standards for how that equipment must be maintained and stowed.
Every required item must be:
- Inspected under § 91.409 to ensure serviceability and immediate readiness
- Readily accessible to the crew
- Clearly marked to show how it operates
- If stored in a compartment, that compartment must be labeled with contents and last inspection date
Specific equipment requirements include:
- Hand fire extinguishers with agents suited to expected fire types — at least one on or near the flight deck, one in the cabin for airplanes carrying 7–30 passengers, and two for airplanes carrying more than 30.
- First aid kits appropriate for in-flight or minor-accident injuries
- A crash axe on airplanes carrying more than 19 passengers
- Battery-powered megaphones — one on airplanes seating 61–99 passengers (rearward), and two (forward and rearward) on airplanes seating 100+
Operationally, this rule ensures the crew can fight fires, treat injuries, force entry through jammed structures, and direct evacuations effectively.
Regulation Text
14 CFR § 91.513§ 91.513 Emergency equipment.
(a) No person may operate an airplane unless it is equipped with the emergency equipment listed in this section.
(b) Each item of equipment—
(1) Must be inspected in accordance with § 91.409 to ensure its continued serviceability and immediate readiness for its intended purposes;
(2) Must be readily accessible to the crew;
(3) Must clearly indicate its method of operation; and
(4) When carried in a compartment or container, must have that compartment or container marked as to contents and date of last inspection.
(c) Hand fire extinguishers must be provided for use in crew, passenger, and cargo compartments in accordance with the following:
(1) The type and quantity of extinguishing agent must be suitable for the kinds of fires likely to occur in the compartment where the extinguisher is intended to be used.
(2) At least one hand fire extinguisher must be provided and located on or near the flight deck in a place that is readily accessible to the flight crew.
(3) At least one hand fire extinguisher must be conveniently located in the passenger compartment of each airplane accommodating more than six but less than 31 passengers, and at least two hand fire extinguishers must be conveniently located in the passenger compartment of each airplane accommodating more than 30 passengers.
(4) Hand fire extinguishers must be installed and secured in such a manner that they will not interfere with the safe operation of the airplane or adversely affect the safety of the crew and passengers. They must be readily accessible and, unless the locations of the fire extinguishers are obvious, their stowage provisions must be properly identified.
(d) First aid kits for treatment of injuries likely to occur in flight or in minor accidents must be provided.
(e) Each airplane accommodating more than 19 passengers must be equipped with a crash axe.
(f) Each passenger-carrying airplane must have a portable battery-powered megaphone or megaphones readily accessible to the crewmembers assigned to direct emergency evacuation, installed as follows:
(1) One megaphone on each airplane with a seating capacity of more than 60 but less than 100 passengers, at the most rearward location in the passenger cabin where it would be readily accessible to a normal flight attendant seat. However, the Administrator may grant a deviation from the requirements of this subparagraph if the Administrator finds that a different location would be more useful for evacuation of persons during an emergency.
(2) On each airplane with a seating capacity of 100 or more passengers, one megaphone installed at the forward end and one installed at the most rearward location where it would be readily accessible to a normal flight attendant seat.
Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1How many hand fire extinguishers are required in the passenger cabin of a large airplane, and where must they be located?
Per FAR 91.513(c), at least one extinguisher is required on or near the flight deck, one in the cabin for airplanes carrying 7–30 passengers, and at least two in the cabin for airplanes carrying more than 30 passengers, all readily accessible.
Q2When is a crash axe required on board, and when are megaphones required?
FAR 91.513(e) requires a crash axe on any airplane accommodating more than 19 passengers. FAR 91.513(f) requires one megaphone for 61–99 seats and two megaphones (forward and rearward) for airplanes seating 100 or more.
Q3What general standards must each piece of required emergency equipment meet?
Under FAR 91.513(b), each item must be inspected per § 91.409, be readily accessible to the crew, clearly indicate its method of operation, and — if stored in a compartment — be marked with its contents and date of last inspection.
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Related Sections in Part 91