Briefing passengers: Extended overwater operations

When operating flights that involve extended overwater segments, airlines must provide passengers with a special safety briefing beyond the standard pre-flight briefing. A crewmember must orally brief all passengers on where life preservers, liferafts, and other flotation equipment are located and how to use them. This briefing must include an actual demonstration of how to put on and inflate a life preserver.

The timing depends on the flight path: if the airplane flies directly over water after takeoff, this briefing must happen before departure. If the flight doesn't immediately go over water, the briefing can wait but must be completed before reaching the overwater portion of the route.

Airlines must document their briefing procedures in their operations manual. This ensures passengers on overwater flights receive critical safety information about equipment they might need in a water emergency, going beyond the standard safety demonstration.

*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.*