SAE AS 8043 Restraint Systems for Civil Aircraft

An SAE aviation standard, “SAE AS 8043 Restraint Systems for Civil Aircraft”, describes laboratory test procedures and minimum requirements for manufacturers of restraint systems for use in civil aircraft. This standard is intended to establish a minimum level of quality that can be required by designers of such systems. However, compliance with this standard alone may not guarantee satisfactory performance of the restraint system under normal and emergency conditions. Such performance requires consideration of factors beyond the scope of this standard and must be demonstrated by a system evaluation procedure that includes the seat, occupant, specific restraint installation, and cabin interior configuration.

This standard includes requirements for Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3 restraint systems. Buckles that are released automatically or by any means other than direct movement of the fingers or thumb on the buckle are outside the scope of this standard.

The general requirements in this standard are described as follows:

• Single-person use: A restraint system must be designed for use by one person at any one time.
• Restraint system: Restraint system components shall meet the appropriate requirements of this standard. The pelvic portion of a restraint system shall provide pelvic restraint whether or not upper torso restraint is used. A pelvic restraint system shall not include emergency locking retractors (inertia reels).
• Hardware: All hardware items should be free of burrs and sharp edges and should be designed and placed to minimize the possibility of injury to the occupant.
• Release: A restraint system should be provided with a single buckle with a single action release that is easily accessible to the occupant to enable the occupant to exit the device easily and quickly. The buckle release mechanism should be designed to minimise the possibility of inadvertent release.
• Adjustment: A restraint system must be capable of being tightly adjusted by the passenger using a means that is readily accessible and easily operated by that person, or must be provided with a locking retractor. The system must maintain its adjusted position during flight. Non-locking retractors should not be used.
• Webbing: All webbing must be made of synthetic materials. The ends of the webbing must be protected or treated to prevent unraveling and must not be separated from the setting hardware.
• Strap: A strap used to sustain restraining forces in a restraint system shall comply with the webbing requirements of this standard and, if the strap is made of a rigid material, shall comply with the applicable requirements of the standard.
• Marking: Each restraint system and detachable subassembly shall be permanently and legibly marked or labeled with the year of manufacture, system description, name and address of the manufacturer or distributor, nominal strength, and this standard for body restraint systems.
• Workmanship: The quality of workmanship must conform to standard aircraft practices.
• Flammability: Materials used in the system must meet or exceed these requirements:
  • Air bag material, elastomeric material, and inflatable air bag material shall not have an average burn rate greater than 14 cm/min when tested using the horizontal flammability test defined in 25 CFR Part 6,35, Annex F, Section I.
  • All materials used in seat belts must meet the fire protection requirements of 14 CFR Part 25, Appendix F, Division I, except those materials or material properties, size, and quantity identified in this section will not create or spread a cabin fire.
  • The insulation of electrical wires and cables in all seat belts must meet the fire protection requirements of 14 CFR Part 25, Appendix F, Division I.
• Load duration: Applied test loads must be maintained for at least 3 seconds.
• Installation instructions: Installation instructions must be provided to the installer.
• Maintenance: When a restraint system (partial or total) is found to have wear exceeding the maximum allowable condition, it must be deemed unusable and promptly removed and replaced with an approved part.

The requirements for belts in this standard are described as follows:

• Width: The width of the strap in a restraint system, excluding portions not in contact with an occupant, shall not be less than 45,7 mm. The width of the strap shall not vary by more than plus/minus 5 percent.
• Breaking strength: The belt in a restraint system shall have a breaking strength of not less than 22,2 kN for a pelvic restraint and 17,8 kN for an upper torso restraint when tested in accordance with this standard. The breaking strength after abrasion tests shall be not less than 16,7 kN for a pelvic restraint belt and 13,3 kN for an upper torso restraint belt when tested in accordance with the specified procedure.
• Elongation: The belt elongation in a restraint system shall be less than 11,1 percent at 20 kN when tested to this standard.
• Resistance to light: The belt in a restraint system shall have a breaking strength of not less than 13,3 kN for pelvic restraints or 10,7 kN for upper torso restraints after testing in accordance with this standard.
• Color fastness: Fabric in a restraint system shall not transfer color to a wet or dry pottery to a degree greater than Class 3 on the AATCC color transfer measurement chart when tested in accordance with this standard.
• Colour fastness to staining: Fabric in a restraint system shall not stain to a degree greater than Class 3 on the AATCC colour transfer measurement chart when tested in accordance with this standard.

Our organization has a strong staff that closely follows the developments in the world in the field of science and technology and constantly improves itself. Among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies provided for businesses in various sectors, there are also test services in accordance with the "SAE AS 8043 Restraint Systems for Civil Aircraft" standard.