Shoulder harness

This regulation requires transport category airplanes type certificated after January 1, 1958, to have combined safety belt and shoulder harnesses at specific locations:

• Each flight deck station (pilot and copilot seats)
• Each required flight attendant seat in the passenger compartment

The shoulder harnesses must meet the technical standards in § 25.785, which covers design and strength requirements for restraint systems.

Two important exceptions apply: First, older shoulder harnesses approved and installed before March 6, 1980, may continue to be used even if they don't meet current standards (grandfathering provision). Second, the restraint systems can be designed to match the inertia load factors from the airplane's original certification basis rather than requiring upgrades to newer standards.

This regulation focuses specifically on crew positions—it does not mandate shoulder harnesses for passenger seats, only for flight crew and required flight attendants.

*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.*