Emergency and emergency evacuation duties

This regulation requires airlines operating under Part 121 to assign specific emergency duties to each category of required crewmember for every aircraft type they operate. These assignments must cover both general emergencies and emergency evacuations.

The assigned duties must be realistic and practically achievable, accounting for worst-case scenarios like crewmembers becoming incapacitated or unable to reach the passenger cabin (such as when cargo shifts in combination cargo-passenger aircraft). This ensures the airline has thought through how emergencies will actually be handled when things go wrong.

Airlines must document these emergency duty assignments in their operations manual, creating a clear reference for training and operations. This matters because it establishes who does what during critical situations—from opening emergency exits to directing passengers—ensuring coordinated emergency response even when some crewmembers cannot perform their normal duties.

*This is a plain-English summary for study only. The official 14 CFR text on this page is controlling — always read the current regulation and consult a CFI.*