Part 90 Manual of Standards

This instrument is the Part 90 Manual of Standards (MOS) made under regulation 90.020 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR 1998) and sets out the additional airworthiness standards that apply under CASR Part 90. Mechanically, the MOS prescribes technical design, installation and performance standards for a range of aircraft items and systems that are in addition to an aircraft’s type certification basis and the requirements for the issue of a certificate of airworthiness under Part 21, CASR 1998 (see s 2.1 and s 2.2). The MOS is a standards instrument, not primary legislation. Where the MOS conflicts with ICAO Standards, the MOS prevails to the extent of the inconsistency (s 2.2, note).

The MOS is organised into Parts and Divisions that distinguish standards for "all aeroplanes" (Part 2), "large aeroplanes engaged in air transport operations" (Part 3) and "small aeroplanes engaged in air transport operations" (Part 4). Part 2 covers cabin and flight crew seats, emergency exit minimum opening size and the prescription of certain fire extinguishing agents (Division 4). Part 3 sets detailed standards for large aeroplanes engaged in air transport operations: escape devices, access to emergency exits, interior and exterior emergency exit marking and lighting (including floor proximity emergency escape path marking, FPEEPM), over-wing escape routes, cabin interior material fire performance, and landing gear aural warning systems (LGAW). Part 4 contains corresponding standards scaled to small aeroplanes engaged in air transport operations (emergency exits, aisle widths and LGAW for small aeroplanes).

The MOS contains numerous date-based and type-certificate-based application rules. Sections 1.3 and 1.4 define how references to aircraft with type certificate applications filed before or after specified dates are to be read. Many substantive provisions vary depending on the date the aircraft’s type-certificate application was filed (for example, escape device and lighting standards that differ for applications filed before or after 1 May 1972, see ss 10.1, 10.4, 43-45, 48.2-48.3). Those date thresholds are an organising principle: compliance obligations for hardware, markings, lighting and materials often depend on whether an aeroplane was type-certificated before or after the dates cited in the MOS.

Part 90 Manual of Standards > Note: (

as amended)

made under regulation 90.020 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998.

This compilation was prepared on 6 November 2017 taking into account amendments up to Part 90 Manual of Standards Amendment Instrument 2017 (No. 1). It is a compilation of the Manual of Standards Part 90 Instrument 2010 as amended and in force on 3 November 2017.

Prepared by the Legal Advisory, Drafting and Contracts Section, Legal Affairs, Regulatory Policy and International Strategy Branch, Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Canberra.

Compilation No. 2.

Contents

Page

Part 1 General

1A Name of instrument

1 Definitions

2 Background

Part 2 Requirements for all aeroplanes

Division 1 Requirements for cabin crew seats

3 Application — CASR 90.125 (1) (b)

4 Cabin crew seats

5 Cabin crew seats — alternative standards

Division 2 Flight crew seats

5A Application — CASR 90.105 (4) (c)

5B Flight crew seats — requirements

Division 3 Emergency exits

5C Application — CASR 90.135 (2)

5D Emergency exits — requirements

Division 4 Fire extinguishing agents

5E Application — CASR 90.150 (1) (b)

5F Fire extinguishing agents — prohibition

Part 3 Large aeroplanes engaged in air transport operations

Division 1 General

6 Application

Division 2 Emergency exits

Subdivision 2.1 Application

7 Application — CASR Subpart 90.C

Subdivision 2.2 Escape devices

8 Application — CASR 90.205 (3)

9 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

10 Escape devices — requirements

Subdivision 2.3 Access to emergency exits

11 Application — CASR 90.215 (1) (b)

12 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

13 Transport category aeroplane

14 Passageways — Type I and Type II exits

15 Passageways — Type III and Type IV exits

16 Filed before 1 January 1958 — Type III and Type IV exits

17 Filed after 1 January 1958 – 60 or more seats – Type III exit

18 Filed after 1 January 1958 – 20 or more seats – Types III and IV exits

19 Filed after 1 January 1958 – 19 seats or less – Types III and IV exits

20 Filed after 1 January 1958 — Type III exit placards

22 Non-transport category aeroplane

23 Passenger compartment obstructions, curtains and doorways

Subdivision 2.4 Interior emergency exit marking

24 Application — CASR 90.220 (1) (b)

25 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

26 Passenger emergency exit marking and locating signs

27 Filed before 1 May 1972 — emergency exit marking and locating sign – transport category

28 Filed on, or after, 1 May 1972 — emergency exit marking and locating sign – transport category

29 Type-certificated after 31 December 1964 — emergency exit marking and locating sign – non-transport category turbo-propeller

30 Alternative standards — emergency exit marking and locating sign

31 Emergency exit operating handle marking, illumination and instructions

Subdivision 2.5 Interior emergency lighting, including FPEEPM

32 Application — CASR 90.225 (1) (b) and 90.230 (2) (b)

33 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

34 Interior emergency lighting system — requirements

35 Type certificated on, or after, 1 January 1958 — floor proximity emergency escape path marking

36 Interior emergency lighting system — further requirements

37 Interior emergency lighting system — if cannot be switched off

Subdivision 2.6 Exterior emergency exit marking

38 Application — CASR 90.235 (1) (b)

39 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

40 Exterior emergency exit marking — requirements

Subdivision 2.7 Exterior emergency lighting

41 Application — CASR 90.240 (1) (b)

42 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

43 Filed before 1 May 1972 — exterior emergency lighting for over-wing

44 Filed before 1 May 1972 — exterior emergency lighting – escape device illumination

45 Filed on, and after, 1 May 1972 — exterior emergency lighting for over‑wing

Subdivision 2.8 Over-wing escape routes

46 Application — CASR 90.245 (1) (b)

47 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

48 Over-wing escape route — requirements

Division 3 Fire protection

Subdivision 3.1 General

49 Application — CASR 90.250 (2) (b)

50 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes — 20 seats or more

Subdivision 3.2 Cabin interior materials

51 Passenger compartment interior materials — requirements

Division 4 Systems and equipment

Subdivision 4.1 General

52 Application — CASR Subpart 90.C

Subdivision 4.2 Landing gear aural warning systems and associated devices

53 Application — CASR 90.290 (1) (b)

54 Passenger-carrying and other aeroplanes

55 FAR 25.729 compliant

56 Landing gear aural warning — aeroplanes

57 Landing gear aural warning — requirements

58 Landing gear aural warning — flap position sensing unit

Part 4 Small aeroplanes engaged in air transport operations

Division 1 General

59 Application and date of effect — small aeroplanes

Division 2 Emergency exits

Subdivision 2.1 Application

60 Application — CASR Subpart 90.D

Subdivision 2.2 Emergency exits

61 Application — CASR 90.410 (2) (b)

62 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

63 Emergency exits — requirements

Division 3 Landing gear aural warning systems and associated devices

Subdivision 3.1 Application

64 Application — CASR Subpart 90.D

Subdivision 3.2 Landing gear aural warning

65 Application and date of effect — CASR 90.415 (2) (b)

66 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

67 Landing gear aural warning — requirements

Note to Part 90 Manual of Standards

Part 1 General

1A Name of instrument

This instrument is the Part 90 Manual of Standards (MOS).

1 Definitions

1.1 Unless otherwise defined in this MOS, words and phrases have the same meaning as in Part 90 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR 1998).

1.2 In this MOS:

FAR means Federal Aviation Regulations of the United States of America.

Type I exit means an emergency exit of that type as defined in FAR 25.807 as in force on 25 March 1998.

Type II exit means an emergency exit of that type as defined in FAR 25.807 as in force on 25 March 1998.

Type III exit means an emergency exit of that type as defined in FAR 25.807 as in force on 25 March 1998.

Type IV exit means an emergency exit of that type as defined in FAR 25.807 as in force on 25 March 1998.

1.3 For this MOS, a reference to aircraft, whose type certificate application was filed before a specified date, means aircraft that are:

(a) the first model or series of the aircraft type to which the type certificate applies, being the type certificate whose application was filed before the specified date; and

(b) any later model or series of the aircraft to which a type certificate amendment applies, being a type certificate amendment whose application was filed before the specified date (if one was filed before the date).

1.4 For this MOS, a reference to aircraft, whose type certificate application was filed after a specified date, means aircraft that are:

(a) the first model or series of the aircraft to which the type certificate applies, being the type certificate whose application was filed after the specified date; and

(b) any later model or series of the aircraft to which a type certificate amendment applies, being a type certificate amendment whose application was filed after the specified date (if one was filed after the date).

2 Background

2.1 Part 90 of CASR 1998, Additional airworthiness requirements, sets out the airworthiness requirements for an aircraft that are in addition to:

(a) the type certification basis for the aircraft; and

(b) any requirements for the issue of a certificate of airworthiness for the aircraft under Part 21 of CASR 1998.

2.2 Under regulation 90.020 of CASR 1998, this MOS sets out the additional airworthiness standards required for CASR Part 90.

Note To the extent that there is any inconsistency between a standard prescribed in ICAO Standards and a standard set out in this MOS, the standard in this MOS prevails.

Part 2 Requirements for all aeroplanes

Division 1 Requirements for cabin crew seats

3 Application — CASR 90.125 (1) (b)

The standards set out in this Division apply for paragraph 90.125 (1) (b) of CASR 1998.

4 Cabin crew seats

A cabin crew seat must:

(a) be located in the passenger cabin near prescribed floor level emergency exits; and

(b) to the extent possible, without compromising proximity to a required floor level emergency exit, provide a direct view of the cabin area for which the cabin crew member is individually responsible; and

(c) be facing forward or rearward, and have an energy absorbing rest that is designed to support the arms, shoulders, head, and spine of the occupant; and

(d) be designed and positioned so that when not in use it will not interfere with the use of passageways and exits; and

(e) be located to minimise the probability of the occupant suffering injury from being struck by any item that is likely to be used in, and capable of being dislodged from, a galley, stowage compartment or serving cart; and

(f) be equipped with a restraint system that:

(i) consists of a combined safety belt and symmetric shoulder harness unit with a single point release; and

(ii) is capable of being safely secured when not in use to prevent interference with rapid egress in an emergency; and

(iii) is designed to the inertia load factors established under the certification basis of the aircraft.

5 Cabin crew seats — alternative standards

5.1 In spite of paragraph 4 (b), for an aeroplane with a certification basis before FAR 25.785 as in force on 6 March 1980, or equivalent, the cabin crew member seats need not be relocated to meet the requirement of paragraph 4 (b), if a mirror gives an indirect view of the cabin area to the relevant cabin crew member.

5.2 In spite of paragraph 4 (f), an aeroplane may continue to use a seat equipped with a serviceable combined safety belt and shoulder harness if the combined belt and harness were approved and installed on the aeroplane before 6 March 1980.

Division 2 Flight crew seats

5A Application — CASR 90.105 (4) (c)

The standards set out in this Division apply for paragraph 90.105 (4) (c) of CASR 1998.

5B Flight crew seats — requirements

For the cockpit observer’s seat that was approved as part of the type design for the following models, a single shoulder strap harness is acceptable in place of a symmetrical type harness for the following aircraft:

(a) DHC-8 (all models);

(b) Fokker 27 (all models);

(d) SAAB 340 (all models).

Division 3 Emergency exits

5C Application — CASR 90.135 (2)

The standards set out in this Division apply for subregulation 90.135 (2) of CASR 1998.

5D Emergency exits — requirements

The following emergency exit requirements are prescribed:

(a) an emergency exit must be of sufficient size so as to admit an ellipse of 483 mm by 660 mm (the minimum opening);

(b) the minimum opening of an emergency exit must be unobstructed at all times.

Division 4 Fire extinguishing agents

5E Application — CASR 90.150 (1) (b)

The standards set out in this Division apply for paragraph 90.150 (1) (b) of CASR 1998.

Note Regulation 90.150 prohibits the carriage of a fire extinguishing agent that is prescribed in the Part 90 MOS on an aircraft.

5F Fire extinguishing agents — prohibition

5F.1 For aircraft manufactured on or after 31 December 2018 — the following fire extinguishing agents, used in fire extinguishers mentioned in subsection 5F.2, are prescribed:

a fire extinguishing agent containing a substance specified in Group II of Annex A: Controlled substances of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (the Montreal Protocol) as it appears in the 8th Edition of the Handbook for the Montreal Protocol.

5F.2 For subsection 5F.1, the fire extinguishers are:

(a) any fire extinguisher fitted for a lavatory disposal receptacle for towels, paper or waste; and

(b) any hand-held fire extinguisher.

Part 3 Large aeroplanes engaged in air transport operations

Division 1 General

6 Application

Unless otherwise stated, the standards set out in this Part apply only to a large aeroplane engaged in air transport operations.

Note Air transport operations are defined in the CASR 1998 Dictionary as operations for a commercial purpose mentioned in paragraph 206 (1) (b) or (c) of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988.

Division 2 Emergency exits

Note: Subdivision 2.1

Note: Application

7 Application — CASR Subpart 90.C

The standards set out in this Division apply for the CASR Subpart 90.C regulation for which they are expressed to apply.

Note: Subdivision 2.2

Note: Escape devices

8 Application — CASR 90.205 (3)

The standards set out in this Subdivision apply for subregulation 90.205 (3) of CASR 1998.

9 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

The standards set out in this Subdivision are for a passenger-carrying large aeroplane.

10 Escape devices — requirements

10.1 For an aeroplane whose type certificate application was filed before 1 May 1972 — the escape device for a passenger emergency exit must be a self-supporting slide, or equivalent, designed so that:

(a) subject to subsection 10.2, it automatically:

(i) deploys simultaneously with the opening of the exit; and

(ii) erects within 10 seconds; and

(b) its lower end is self-supporting on the ground, including if 1 or more of the landing gear legs collapses.

10.2 For paragraph 10.1 (a), if the escape device is installed at a service door, or passenger door that qualifies as an emergency exit, means must be provided to prevent automatic deployment of the device when the door is opened from the inside or the outside of the aeroplane in non-emergency conditions.

10.3 For an aeroplane whose type certificate application was filed before 1 May 1972 — the escape device for the flight crew emergency exit must be a rope or other equivalent device, demonstrably suitable for the purpose, that is:

(a) able with its attachment to withstand a static load of 181.6 kg; and

(b) either:

(i) attached to the fuselage structure at, or above, the top of the emergency exit opening; or

(ii) for a device at a pilot’s emergency exit window — at another approved location if the stowed device or its attachment would otherwise reduce the pilot’s view in flight.

10.4 For an aeroplane whose type certificate application was filed on, or after, 1 May 1972 — the escape device must meet the design requirements under which the aeroplane was type certificated.

Note: Subdivision 2.3

Note: Access to emergency exits

11 Application — CASR 90.215 (1) (b)

The standards set out in this Subdivision apply for paragraph 90.215 (1) (b) of CASR 1998.

12 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

The standards set out in this Subdivision are for a passenger-carrying large aeroplane.

13 Transport category aeroplane

Access to emergency exits for a transport category aeroplane must be in accordance with sections 14 to 21, inclusive, of this Subdivision.

14 Passageways — Type I and Type II exits

14.1 Each passageway between individual passenger areas, or leading to a Type I or Type II emergency exit, must be:

(a) at least 508 mm wide; and

(b) unobstructed.

14.2 There must be enough space around each Type I or Type II emergency exit to allow a crew member to assist in the evacuation of passengers without reducing the unobstructed width of the passageway to below 508 mm.

15 Passageways — Type III and Type IV exits

There must be access from the main aisle to each Type III or Type IV emergency exit and this access must not be obstructed by seats, berths, or other protrusions in a manner that would reduce the effectiveness of the exit.

16 Filed before 1 January 1958 — Type III and Type IV exits

16.1 For an aeroplane whose type certificate application was filed before 1 January 1958, access to each Type III or Type IV emergency exit must be such that:

(a) the projected opening of the exit is not obstructed; and

(b) in opening the exit there is no interference from seats, berths or other protrusions, including seat backs in any position, for a distance from the exit of not less than the width of the narrowest passenger seat installed on the aeroplane.

16.2 A seat back does not infringe the requirement in subsection 16.1 if:

(a) the seat back recline mechanism had a manual lock-upright capability; and

(b) procedures are in place on the aeroplane to ensure that the seat back is locked in the upright position during take-off and landing.

17 Filed after 1 January 1958 – 60 or more seats – Type III exit

17.1 For an aeroplane with a passenger seating configuration of 60 or more, and a type certificate application filed after 1 January 1958, access to each Type III emergency exit must be:

(a) if the adjacent seat rows on the exit side of the aisle contain no more than 2 seats — subject to subsection 17.3, an unobstructed passageway that is at least 254 mm wide; or

(b) if the adjacent seat rows on the exit side of the aisle contain 3 seats — subject to subsection 17.3, an unobstructed passageway that is at least 330 mm.

17.2 For subsection 17.1, the width of a passageway must be measured with adjacent seats adjusted to their most adverse position.

17.3 Instead of the unobstructed passageway mentioned in paragraph 17.1 (a) or (b), there may be 2 unobstructed passageways each at least 152 mm wide between seat rows leading to an unobstructed space adjacent to each emergency exit, provided adjacent exits do not share a common passageway.

17.4 For subsection 17.3:

(a) the width of the passageway must be measured with adjacent seats adjusted to their most adverse position; and

(b) the unobstructed space adjacent to the emergency exit must:

(i) extend vertically from the floor to either the ceiling or the bottom of the sidewall stowage bins; and

(ii) extend inboard from the emergency exit for a distance not less than the width of the narrowest passenger seat installed on the aeroplane; and

(iii) extend from the forward edge of the forward passageway to the aft edge of the aft passageway; and

17.5 If special circumstances make compliance with subsection 17.1 impractical, CASA may, in writing, approve a different seating configuration for emergency exit access.

17.6 For subsection 17.5, special circumstances which may make compliance with subsection 17.1 impractical include the following:

(a) emergency exits located in close proximity to each other;

(b) fixed installations such as lavatories and galleys;

(d) an insufficient number of seat rows ahead of, or behind, the exit.

17.7 For subsection 17.5, an exit row seating configuration is deemed to be approved if it is the subject of an exclusion from Airworthiness Directive AD/General/73 under regulation 39.004 of CASR 1998, and in force before 1 December 2010.

18 Filed after 1 January 1958 – 20 or more seats – Types III and IV exits

For an aeroplane with a passenger seating configuration of 20 or more and a type certificate application filed after 1 January 1958, access to each Type III or Type IV emergency exit must be such that:

(a) the projected opening of the exit is not obstructed; and

19 Filed after 1 January 1958 – 19 seats or less – Types III and IV exits

For an aeroplane with a passenger seating configuration of 19 or less and a type certificate application filed after 1 January 1958, access to each Type III or Type IV emergency exit must, as far as practicable, meet the requirements mentioned in paragraphs 16.1 (a) and (b), except that there may be minor obstructions and interference in the emergency exit area if there are compensating factors to maintain the effectiveness of the exit.

Note An example of a minor obstruction with compensating factors is unattached (meaning loose), soft seat back cushions on side facing divans as long as the cushion can be readily moved away and the exit easily opened from the inside and outside. The exit signs must not be obscured.

20 Filed after 1 January 1958 — Type III exit placards

For an aeroplane with a Type III exit and a type certificate application filed after 1 January 1958, there must be 1 or more placards for each Type III exit, and each placard must:

(a) be readable by all persons seated adjacent to, and facing a passageway to, the exit; and

(b) accurately state or illustrate the proper method of opening the exit, including the use of handholds; and

(c) if the exit is a removable hatch — state the weight of the hatch and indicate an appropriate location to place the hatch after removal.

22 Non-transport category aeroplane

For a passenger-carrying large aeroplane in the non-transport category only, access to a window-type emergency exit must not be obstructed by any seat or seat back.

23 Passenger compartment obstructions, curtains and doorways

23.1 This section applies for a passenger-carrying large aeroplane.

23.2 If, to reach an emergency exit from a seat in the passenger cabin, it is necessary to pass through a passageway between passenger compartments, the passageway must be unobstructed.

23.3 For subsection 23.2, curtains are an obstruction unless they allow free and unimpeded passage through the passageway.

23.4 A door must not be installed in any partition between passenger compartments.

23.5 If, to reach an emergency exit from a seat in the passenger cabin, it is necessary to pass through a doorway separating the passenger cabin from other areas of the aeroplane, the door must have a means to latch it open.

23.6 For subsection 23.5, the means of latching must be able to withstand the loads imposed upon it when the door is subjected to the ultimate inertia forces relative to the surrounding structure, as prescribed in FAR 25.561 (b) or equivalent, as in force on the date specified in the aeroplane’s type certificate data sheet or equivalent document.

Note: Subdivision 2.4

Note: Interior emergency exit marking

24 Application — CASR 90.220 (1) (b)

Subject to section 30, the standards set out in this Subdivision apply for paragraph 90.220 (1) (b) of CASR 1998.

25 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

The standards set out in this Subdivision are for a passenger-carrying large aeroplane.

26 Passenger emergency exit marking and locating signs

26.1 Each passenger emergency exit and its means of access must be conspicuously marked on the interior of the aeroplane.

26.2 The marking to identify and locate each passenger emergency exit must be recognisable from a distance equal to the width of the cabin.

26.3 Each passenger emergency exit and access to it must be marked in a way that enables the occupants to locate the exit even if there is dense smoke in the cabin.

26.4 Each passenger emergency exit must be indicated by locating signs that are visible to occupants approaching along the main passenger aisle or aisles, so that there is a sign:

(a) either:

(i) above the aisle or aisles near each passenger emergency exit; or

(ii) if low headroom makes this impracticable — at another overhead location; and

next to each passenger emergency exit; and
if a bulkhead or divider prevents fore and aft vision along the passenger cabin, either:

(i) on each such bulkhead or divider, indicating that emergency exits are beyond the bulkhead or divider; or

(ii) if this is not possible — to the same effect at another appropriate location.

26.5 For paragraphs 26.4 (a) and (b), 1 sign may serve more than 1 exit if the sign is such that each exit can be easily identified and readily seen because of the sign.

27 Filed before 1 May 1972 — emergency exit marking and locating sign – transport category

27.1 If the application for the type certificate for a transport category aeroplane was filed before 1 May 1972, each passenger emergency exit marking and each locating sign must have white letters at least 25 mm high on a red background that is at least 50 mm high.

27.2 Each locating sign must be self-illuminated, electrically or otherwise, with a minimum brightness:

(a) on installation of 0.51 cd/m²; and

(b) that does not decrease in service below 0.32 cd/m².

27.3 The colours mentioned in subsection 27.1 may be reversed for electrically self‑illuminated signs if this will increase the illumination of the exit.

28 Filed on, or after, 1 May 1972 — emergency exit marking and locating sign – transport category

28.1 If the application for the type certificate for a transport category aeroplane was filed on, or after, 1 May 1972, each passenger emergency exit marking and each locating sign must be manufactured to meet the interior emergency exit marking requirements under which the aircraft was type certificated.

28.2 A sign must not be continued in use if its brightness decreases below 0.8 cd/m².

29 Type-certificated after 31 December 1964 — emergency exit marking and locating sign – non-transport category turbo-propeller

29.1 If a turbo-propeller powered non-transport category aeroplane was type certificated after 31 December 1964, each passenger emergency exit marking and each locating sign must have white letters 25 mm high on a red background 50 mm high.

29.2 Each locating sign must be self-illuminated, electrically or otherwise, with a minimum brightness:

(a) on installation of 0.51 cd/m²; and

(b) that does not decrease in service below 0.32 cd/m².

29.3 The colours mentioned in subsection 29.1 may be reversed for electrically self‑illuminated signs if this will increase the illumination of the exit.

30 Alternative standards — emergency exit marking and locating sign

If a passenger emergency exit marking or locating sign does not comply with the relevant requirements of subsection 27.1, 28.1 or 29.1, it must be a universal exit symbol that complies with the means of compliance set out in EASA AMC 25.812 (b) (1) and (2) as in force on 19 September 2007.

31 Emergency exit operating handle marking, illumination and instructions

31.1 For each passenger emergency exit, the following must be conspicuously marked on the interior of the aeroplane:

(a) the location of the operating handle for the exit; and

(b) the opening instructions for the handle, including, if covered, the handle-cover removal instructions.

31.2 The marking must be:

(a) on, or near, each passenger emergency exit; and

(b) readable from a distance of 762 mm.

31.3 Each passenger emergency exit operating handle must be:

(a) self-illuminated with a minimum brightness:

(i) on installation of 0.51 cd/m²; and

(ii) that does not decrease in service below 0.32 cd/m²; or

(b) conspicuously located and illuminated by the aeroplane’s emergency lighting including in conditions of occupant crowding at the exit.

31.4 If the application for the type certificate for a transport category aeroplane was filed before 1 May 1972, for each Type II or larger passenger emergency exit with a locking mechanism released by rotary motion of a handle, the instructions for opening must be shown by:

(a) a red arrow with a shaft at least 19 mm wide and a head twice the width of the shaft, extending along at least 70 degrees of arc at a radius approximately equal to three quarters of the handle length; and

(b) the word OPEN in red capital letters at least 25 mm high on a contrasting background placed horizontally adjacent to the arrowhead to show the open position of the handle.

Note: Subdivision 2.5

Note: Interior emergency lighting, including FPEEPM

32 Application — CASR 90.225 (1) (b) and 90.230 (2) (b)

The standards set out in this Subdivision apply for paragraphs 90.225 (1) (b) and 90.230 (2) (b) of CASR 1998.

33 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

The standards set out in this Subdivision are for a passenger-carrying large aeroplane that is a transport category aeroplane.

34 Interior emergency lighting system — requirements

34.1 Subject to subsection 34.2, the aeroplane must have an interior emergency lighting system, including power supply, that is independent of the aeroplane’s main lighting system and its power supply.

34.2 Without otherwise affecting subsection 34.1, the sources of general cabin illumination may be common to both the interior emergency lighting and the main lighting system.

34.3 The interior emergency lighting system must include the following:

(a) illuminated emergency exit markings;

(b) illuminated emergency exit locating signs;

(d) sources of general cabin illumination.

35 Type certificated on, or after, 1 January 1958 — floor proximity emergency escape path marking

35.1 For a large aeroplane that was type certificated after 1 January 1958 and has a passenger seating configuration of 20 or more, the interior emergency lighting system must include floor proximity emergency escape path marking (FPEEPM).

35.2 The FPEEPM must provide emergency evacuation guidance for passengers when all sources of illumination more than 1.22 m above the cabin aisle floor are totally obscured.

35.3 In darkness equivalent to the dark of night, the FPEEPM must enable each passenger:

(a) after leaving his or her seat — to visually identify the emergency escape path along the cabin aisle floor to the first exit, or pair of exits, forward and aft of the seat; and

(b) to readily distinguish each exit from the emergency escape path by reference to markings and visual features that are not more than 1.22 m above the cabin aisle floor.

36 Interior emergency lighting system — further requirements

For this Subdivision, subject to section 37, the interior emergency lighting system must:

(a) be controlled manually from the flight crew station with a cockpit control device that has an “on”, “off”, and “armed” position (the cockpit station); and

(b) for aeroplanes on which a cabin crew member is required — be controlled manually from both of the following:

(i) the cockpit station;

(ii) a point in the passenger compartment readily accessible from a normal cabin crew member’s seat (the cabin crew station); and

(d) when turned on at either the cockpit station or the cabin crew station — ensure that the interior emergency lighting remains on in the event of interruption of the aeroplane’s normal electric power; and

(e) when armed at the cockpit station — ensure that the interior emergency lighting comes on in the event of interruption of the aeroplane’s normal electric power; and

(f) provide the level of illumination required under this MOS for at least 10 minutes at the critical ambient conditions after an emergency landing.

37 Interior emergency lighting system — if cannot be switched off

An interior emergency lighting system that is designed to be continuously on and cannot be switched off need not meet the requirements in paragraphs 36 (a) to (e), but must meet the requirement in paragraph 36 (f).

Note Photoluminescent and radioluminescent light sources are examples of lighting systems that cannot be turned off.

Note: Subdivision 2.6

Note: Exterior emergency exit marking

38 Application — CASR 90.235 (1) (b)

The standards set out in this Subdivision apply for paragraph 90.235 (1) (b) of CASR 1998.

39 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

The standards set out in this Subdivision are for a passenger-carrying large aeroplane.

40 Exterior emergency exit marking — requirements

40.1 The following must be clearly marked on the outside of the aeroplane for each emergency exit that is capable of being opened from the outside in accordance with this Subdivision:

(a) the external means of opening the emergency exit; and

(b) on the side of the fuselage or on the exit itself — a 50 mm coloured band highlighting the exit.

40.2 Each marking, including the coloured band, must have colour contrast that readily distinguishes it from the surrounding fuselage surface.

40.3 For subsection 40.2, the contrast must be as follows:

(a) if the reflectance of the darker colour is 15% or less, the reflectance of the lighter colour must be at least 45%;

(b) if the reflectance of the darker colour is greater than 15%, there must be at least a 30% difference between the reflectance of the darker colour and the reflectance of the lighter colour.

40.4 For an emergency exit that is not in the side of the fuselage, the external means of opening, including instructions if applicable, must be conspicuously marked:

(a) in red; or

(b) if the background colour is such that red would be inconspicuous — in bright chrome yellow.

40.5 For an emergency exit that is not in the side of the fuselage, if the means of opening the exit is located on 1 side only of the fuselage, a conspicuous marking to that effect must be provided on the other side.

Note Emergency exits not in the side of the fuselage include ventral exits and tail cone exits.

40.6 In this section:

reflectance means the ratio of the luminous flux reflected by a body to the luminous flux it receives.

Note: Subdivision 2.7

Note: Exterior emergency lighting

41 Application — CASR 90.240 (1) (b)

The standards set out in this Subdivision apply for paragraph 90.240 (1) (b) of CASR 1998, including in relation to escape devices required by regulation 90.205.

42 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

The standards set out in this Subdivision are for a passenger-carrying, large aeroplane that is a transport category aeroplane.

43 Filed before 1 May 1972 — exterior emergency lighting for over-wing

For an aeroplane whose type certificate application was filed before 1 May 1972, the exterior emergency lighting for each over-wing emergency exit must supply the following illumination:

(a) on a 0.19 m² area where an evacuee is likely to make his or her first step outside the cabin — not less than 0.22 lux (measured on a plane parallel to the surface);

(b) for a minimum width of 0.61 m along the 30% of the required slip-resistant escape route that is farthest from the exit — not less than 0.54 lux (measured normal to the direction of the incident light);

Note For the required slip-resistant escape route mentioned above, see Subdivision 2.8 — Over-wing escape routes.

(c) on the ground surface (measured on a horizontal plane) where, with the landing gear extended, an evacuee using the established escape route would normally make first contact with the ground — not less than 0.22 lux.

44 Filed before 1 May 1972 — exterior emergency lighting – escape device illumination

44.1 This section applies to an aeroplane whose type certificate application was filed before 1 May 1972.

44.2 The exterior emergency lighting must illuminate each emergency exit escape device in such a way that when it is deployed it is visible from the aeroplane.

Note For escape devices, see regulation 90.205 of CASR 1998 and Subdivision 2.2 in Part 3 of this MOS.

44.3 For an over-wing emergency exit, illumination of the escape device provided by exterior emergency lighting must be illumination of not less than 0.22 lux on the ground surface (measured on a horizontal plane) where, with the landing gear extended, an evacuee using the over-wing emergency exit escape route would normally make first contact with the ground.

44.4 For a not over-wing emergency exit, illumination of the escape device provided by exterior emergency lighting must be:

(a) illumination of not less than 0.32 lux (measured normal to the direction of the incident light) where, with the landing gear extended, an evacuee using the not over-wing emergency exit would normally make first contact with the ground; and

(b) for each not over-wing emergency exit in the side of the fuselage:

(i) over a spherical surface 10 degrees to either side of the centre of the escape device; and

(ii) from 30 degrees above to 5 degrees below the 45-degree position of the escape device.

44.5 If an escape device is illuminated by an exterior emergency lighting subsystem that:

(a) serves only that escape device; and

(b) is independent of the aeroplane’s main emergency lighting system; and

then the subsystem:

(d) must not be adversely affected by the stowage of the device; and

(e) must provide sufficient ground surface illumination that obstacles at the end of the escape device are clearly visible to evacuees.

45 Filed on, and after, 1 May 1972 — exterior emergency lighting for over‑wing

For an aeroplane whose type certificate application was filed on, or after, 1 May 1972, the exterior emergency lighting must meet the exterior emergency lighting requirements under which the aeroplane was type certificated.

Note: Subdivision 2.8

Note: Over-wing escape routes

46 Application — CASR 90.245 (1) (b)

The standards set out in this Subdivision apply for paragraph 90.245 (1) (b) of CASR 1998.

47 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

The standards set out in this Subdivision are for a passenger-carrying large aeroplane.

48 Over-wing escape route — requirements

48.1 An escape route must be established from each over-wing emergency exit of the aeroplane.

48.2 If the application for the type certificate for the aeroplane was filed before 1 May 1972, the escape route must:

(a) be marked; and

(b) except for flap surfaces suitable as slides, be covered with a slip resistant surface.

48.3 If the application for the type certificate for the aeroplane was filed on, or after, 1 May 1972, the escape route must meet the slip-resistant escape route requirements under which the aeroplane was type certificated.

Division 3 Fire protection

Note: Subdivision 3.1

Note: General

49 Application — CASR 90.250 (2) (b)

The standards set out in this Division apply for paragraph 90.250 (2) (b) of CASR 1998.

Note Under subregulation 90.250 (3) of CASR 1998, the standards do not apply to a material used for a seat cushion mentioned in regulation 90.255.

50 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes — 20 seats or more

The standards set out in this Division are for a passenger-carrying large aeroplane that is a transport category aeroplane, and that:

(a) has a passenger seating configuration of 20 seats or more; and

(b) was type certificated on, or after, 1 January 1958.

Note: Subdivision 3.2

Note: Cabin interior materials

51 Passenger compartment interior materials — requirements

51.1 In this section:

relevant FAR means FAR 25.853 (d) as in force on 6 March 1995.

Note FAR 25.853 (d) as in force on 6 March 1995 describes interior components and test requirements.

51.2 Unless CASA approves otherwise in writing for an operator, the standards in this Subdivision apply to the materials used in the cabin interior components described in the relevant FAR.

Note The cabin interior components include ceilings, wall panels, partitions, galley structures etc.

51.3 For subsection 51.2, CASA may only approve otherwise for specified applicable interior components if exceptional circumstances make compliance with the standard impracticable.

51.4 For an aeroplane manufactured on, or after, 20 August 1988 but before 20 August 1990, applicable interior components must comply with the heat release rate testing standards of the relevant FAR, except:

(a) the total heat release over the first 2 minutes of sample exposure must not exceed 100 kilowatt minutes per square metre; and

(b) the peak heat release rate must not exceed 100 kilowatts per square metre.

51.5 For an aeroplane manufactured on, or after, 20 August 1990, applicable interior components must comply with the heat release rate and smoke testing standards of the relevant FAR.

51.6 For an aeroplane:

(a) type certificated after 1 January 1958; and

(b) in which a substantially complete replacement of the cabin interior components identified in the relevant FAR was undertaken in the period commencing on 20 August 1988 and ending immediately before 20 August 1990;

applicable interior components must comply with the heat release rate testing standards of the relevant FAR, except:

(c) the total heat release over the first 2 minutes of sample exposure must not exceed 100 kilowatt minutes per square metre; and

(d) the peak heat release rate must not exceed 100 kilowatts per square metre.

51.7 For an aeroplane:

(a) type certificated after 1 January 1958; and

(b) in which a substantially complete replacement of the cabin interior components identified in the relevant FAR was undertaken on, or after, 20 August 1990;

applicable interior components must comply with the heat release rate testing standards of the relevant FAR.

Division 4 Systems and equipment

Note: Subdivision 4.1

Note: General

52 Application — CASR Subpart 90.C

The standards set out in this Division apply for the regulation in Subpart 90.C of CASR 1998 for which they are expressed to apply.

Note: Subdivision 4.2

Note: Landing gear aural warning systems and associated devices

53 Application — CASR 90.290 (1) (b)

The standards set out in this Subdivision apply for paragraph 90.290 (1) (b) of CASR 1998.

54 Passenger-carrying and other aeroplanes

The standards set out in this Subdivision are for a large aeroplane, whether passenger‑carrying or otherwise.

55 FAR 25.729 compliant

The standards set out in this Subdivision do not apply for an aeroplane that complies with:

(a) FAR 25.729 as in force on 6 January 1992; or

(b) any later amendment of FAR 25.729 after 6 January 1992.

Note FAR 25.729 relates to aeroplanes with retractable landing gear.

56 Landing gear aural warning — aeroplanes

An aeroplane must have a landing gear aural warning (LGAW) device that functions continuously in the following circumstances:

(a) for an aeroplane with an established approach flap position, whenever:

(i) the flaps are extended beyond the maximum certificated approach climb configuration position in the aeroplane flight manual; and

(ii) the landing gear is not fully extended and locked;

(b) for an aeroplane without an established approach climb flap position, whenever:

(i) the flaps are extended beyond the position at which landing gear extension is normally performed; and

(ii) the landing gear is not fully extended and locked.

57 Landing gear aural warning — requirements

The LGAW device:

(a) must not have a manual shut-off means readily available to the flight crew such that it could be operated instinctively, inadvertently, or by habitual reflexive action; and

(b) must be in addition to the throttle-actuated device installed under the airworthiness type certification requirements; and

58 Landing gear aural warning — flap position sensing unit

For section 56, the flap position sensing unit may be installed at any suitable place in the aeroplane.

Part 4 Small aeroplanes engaged in air transport operations

Division 1 General

59 Application and date of effect — small aeroplanes

The standards set out in this Part apply only to a small aeroplane engaged in air transport operations.

Division 2 Emergency exits

Note: Subdivision 2.1

Note: Application

60 Application — CASR Subpart 90.D

The standards set out in this Division apply for the CASR Subpart 90.D regulation for which they are expressed to apply.

Note: Subdivision 2.2

Note: Emergency exits

61 Application — CASR 90.410 (2) (b)

The standards set out in this Subdivision apply for paragraph 90.410 (2) (b) of CASR 1998.

62 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

The standards set out in this Subdivision are for a small aeroplane, engaged in regular public transport operations, that has 10 or more passenger seats.

63 Emergency exits — requirements

63.1 The aeroplane must have an emergency exit from the flight crew compartment if a door between the compartment and the passenger cabin may block the crew’s escape after the emergency landing conditions mentioned in the aeroplane’s type certification basis.

63.2 Each emergency exit from the aeroplane must be identified by an approved sign that:

(a) shows:

(i) the word “EXIT” in white letters 25 mm high on a red background 50 mm high, or in red letters 25 mm high on a white background 50 mm high; or

(ii) a universal exit symbol complying with the means of compliance set out in EASA AMC 25.812 (b) (1) and (2) as in force 19 September 2007; and

(b) is self-illuminated or electrically illuminated independently of the normal cabin lighting system; and

63.3 If a provision of CASR 1998 or this MOS requires the aeroplane to have an emergency exit and the exit does not use a floor-level door, the exit must:

(a) in the case of a low-wing aeroplane — be located over the wing; or

(b) in any other case — provide a means for the aeroplane’s occupants to reach the ground safely in an emergency.

63.4 Subsection 63.5 applies only if the aeroplane has:

(a) 15 seats or less; and

(b) an external door or doors on only 1 side of the fuselage.

63.5 The aeroplane must have at least 1 emergency exit on the opposite side of the fuselage from the external door or doors.

63.6 Subsection 63.7 applies only if the aeroplane has:

(a) at least 16, but not more than 23 seats; and

(b) an external door, or doors, on only 1 side of the fuselage.

63.7 The aeroplane must have at least 3 emergency exits, of which at least 2 must be on the opposite side of the fuselage from the external door or doors.

63.8 In subsections 63.4 and 63.6:

seats includes crew member seats.

63.9 A passenger aisle in the aeroplane must be at least:

(a) 228 mm wide at any point that is less than 635 mm above the floor; and

(b) 381 mm wide at any point that is 635 mm or more above the floor.

Division 3 Landing gear aural warning systems and associated devices

Note: Subdivision 3.1

Note: Application

64 Application — CASR Subpart 90.D

The standards set out in this Division apply for the CASR Subpart 90.D regulation for which they are expressed to apply.

Note: Subdivision 3.2

Note: Landing gear aural warning

65 Application and date of effect — CASR 90.415 (2) (b)

The standards set out in this Subdivision apply for paragraph 90.415 (2) (b) of CASR 1998.

66 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

The standards set out in this Subdivision are for a small aeroplane, engaged in air transport operations, that has 10 or more passenger seats.

67 Landing gear aural warning — requirements

67.1 This section applies if the aeroplane:

(a) has wing flaps and retractable landing gear; and

(b) is not an amphibian aeroplane.

67.2 The aeroplane must be equipped with an aural landing gear warning device that:

(a) sounds continuously if the aeroplane’s flaps are in the landing position and the landing gear is not fully extended and locked; and

(b) cannot be turned off by the flight crew.

Note to Part 90 Manual of Standards

Note: The Part 90 Manual of Standards (in force under the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998) as shown in this compilation comprises Manual of Standards Part 90 Instrument 2010 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Note: > Note: Table of Manual of Standards

Year andnumber	Date of registration on FRLI	Date ofcommencement	Application, saving ortransitional provisions
MOS 90 Instrument 2010	25 November 2010 (see F2010L03095)	1 December 2011	—
MOS 90 2011 No. 1	17 October 2011 (see F2011L02077)	18 October 2011	—
MOS 90 2017 No. 1	2 November 2017 (see F2017L01414)	3 November 2017	—

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="width:392.35pt; border-collapse:collapse"><thead><tr><td colspan="2" style="width:381.55pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt"><span class="CharENotesHeading" style="font-size:10pt; font-weight:bold">Table of Amendments</span></p><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt"><span>ad. = added or inserted</span><span> </span><span>am. = amended</span><span> </span><span>rep. = repealed</span><span> </span><span>rs. = repealed and substituted</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; border-top:0.75pt solid #000000; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>Provision affected</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; border-top:0.75pt solid #000000; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt"><span>How affected</span></p></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 1</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>rep. MOS 90 2011 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 2</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>rep. MOS 90 2011 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 3</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>rep. MOS 90 2011 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>Schedule heading</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>rep. MOS 90 2011 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>Schedule title</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>rep. MOS 90 2011 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 1A</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>ad. MOS 90 2011 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 3</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>am. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 4</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>am. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 5A</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>ad. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 5B</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>ad. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 5C</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>ad. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 5D</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>ad. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 5E</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>ad. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 5F</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>ad. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 6</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>am. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 10</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>am. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 17</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>am. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 18</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>am. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 19</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>am. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 20</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>am. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 21</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>rep. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 31</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>am. MOS 90 2011 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 35</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>am. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 49</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>am. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 50</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>am. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 52</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>am. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 55</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>am. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 59</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>am. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:108.9pt; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmend" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-bottom:3pt"><span>s. 65</span></p></td><td style="width:261.85pt; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableOfAmendHead" style="margin-right:0pt; margin-left:0pt; text-indent:0pt"><span>am. MOS 90 2017 No. 1</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table>

1 Part 90 Manual of Standards

Part 90 Manual of Standards > Note: (

as amended)

made under regulation 90.020 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998.

Prepared by the Legal Advisory, Drafting and Contracts Section, Legal Affairs, Regulatory Policy and International Strategy Branch, Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Canberra.

Compilation No. 2.

Contents

Page

Part 1 General

1A Name of instrument

1 Definitions

2 Background

Part 2 Requirements for all aeroplanes

Division 1 Requirements for cabin crew seats

3 Application — CASR 90.125 (1) (b)

4 Cabin crew seats

5 Cabin crew seats — alternative standards

Division 2 Flight crew seats

5A Application — CASR 90.105 (4) (c)

5B Flight crew seats — requirements

Division 3 Emergency exits

5C Application — CASR 90.135 (2)

5D Emergency exits — requirements

Division 4 Fire extinguishing agents

5E Application — CASR 90.150 (1) (b)

5F Fire extinguishing agents — prohibition

Part 3 Large aeroplanes engaged in air transport operations

Division 1 General

6 Application

Division 2 Emergency exits

Subdivision 2.1 Application

7 Application — CASR Subpart 90.C

Subdivision 2.2 Escape devices

8 Application — CASR 90.205 (3)

9 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

10 Escape devices — requirements

Subdivision 2.3 Access to emergency exits

11 Application — CASR 90.215 (1) (b)

12 Passenger-carrying aeroplanes

13 Transport category aeroplane

14 Passageways — Type I and Type II exits

15 Passageways — Type III and Type IV exits

16 Filed before 1 January 1958 — Type III and Type IV exits

17 Filed after 1 January 1958 – 60 or more seats – Type III exit

18 Filed after 1 January 1958 – 20 or more seats – Types III and IV exits

The MOS frames technical safety requirements as standards to be satisfied in aircraft certification and operation. Key recurring concepts are (a) application by type-certificate filing date, (b) prescriptive physical dimensions and performance thresholds, (c) required markings and illumination levels, (d) independence and redundancy of emergency lighting and warnings, and (e) linkage to specified external standards as means of compliance.

Application by type-certificate filing date: Sections 1.3 and 1.4 fix the approach. Many substantive requirements apply differently depending on whether an aircraft’s type-certificate application was filed before or after specified dates (notably 1 January 1958, 31 December 1964, 1 May 1972, and 20 August 1988/1990). For example, slide-type escape device deployment and erection timing is paired to the pre-1 May 1972 filing date (s 10.1), and FPEEPM requirements apply to aeroplanes type-certificated after 1 January 1958 with 20 or more seats (s 35.1). These chronological distinctions create a matrix of obligations which often depend on the interaction between an aeroplane’s type-certification history and retrofit or interior modification history (see s 51.6-51.7).

Prescriptive physical dimensions and performance thresholds: The MOS prescribes concrete measurements in many places. Emergency exits must admit an ellipse of 483 mm by 660 mm (s 5D(a)). Passageway widths and unobstructed spaces to access exits are specified (eg s 14.1 requires passageways to be at least 508 mm wide to Type I/II exits; s 17.1 and ss 17.2-17.4 set narrower passageway rules for Type III exits on aircraft with 60+ seats depending on seat-row configuration). Lighting and self‑illumination brightness minima are specified in candela per square metre metrics for older aircraft (eg ss 27.2, 29.2, 31.3). Exterior contrast is specified by reflectance differences (s 40.3).

Markings, signage and illumination: The MOS mandates conspicuous interior and exterior emergency exit marking, self‑illumination performance, and readability requirements (ss 26-31, 38-40). Interior emergency exit signs must be readable from distances defined relative to the cabin width or in metres (eg ss 26.2, 31.2). Floor proximity emergency escape path marking (FPEEPM) is required for transport-category large aeroplanes with 20+ seats type-certificated after 1 January 1958 and must function when overhead lighting is obscured (ss 35.1-35.3). The MOS also prescribes that interior emergency lighting must be independent of the main lighting and must remain on for at least 10 minutes after an emergency landing in critical ambient conditions (ss 34.1, 36(f)).

Independence and redundancy: The MOS frequently requires emergency systems to be independent of normal systems or to be designed to remain in operation in the event of normal power interruption. For example, the interior emergency lighting system must be independent of the main lighting and power supply (s 34.1) but may share sources of general cabin illumination (s 34.2). Exterior escape-device illumination may be required to be a separate subsystem that is automatically activated upon device deployment and independent of the main emergency lighting system (s 44.5). Landing gear aural warning devices must be additional to throttle-actuated devices and must not have a readily available manual shut-off (ss 56-57).

Linkage to overseas standards and approved alternatives: The MOS uses external standards as the design baseline or as permitted alternatives. It adopts FAR provisions (as to Type I-IV exit definitions and cabin interior material test regimes: ss 1.2, 51.1), refers to EASA AMC 25.812 for alternative exit symbol compliance (s 30), and creates exemptions where an aircraft complies with certain FAR provisions (s 55 exempts aeroplanes complying with FAR 25.729 as at 6 January 1992). At the same time, CASA has explicit discretion to approve alternative arrangements in specified circumstances (eg 17.5, 51.3), subject to stated criteria.

Transitional and grandfathering elements: The MOS includes explicit carve-outs for legacy designs and previously approved installations. Examples are acceptance of mirror-based indirect cabin views for very early certification bases (s 5.1) and acceptance of pre‑1980 combined belt/shoulder harnesses (s 5.2). It also contains express transitional rules for interior materials when complete cabin replacement occurred in specified date windows (ss 51.4-51.7).

Regulatory reach: The MOS functions as a standards text under CASR 1998. It is not itself an enforcement instrument prescribing penalties, but non-compliance with MOS standards can affect airworthiness certification and the ability to comply with CASR Part 90 requirements (see ss 2.1-2.2 for the MOS’s place in the regulatory architecture).

The MOS primarily affects three cohorts: aircraft designers/manufacturers (type-certification holders), air transport operators (large and small aeroplanes engaged in air transport), and maintainers or modification agencies that carry out interior refurbishments, retrofits or equipment installations. CASA is the administering authority and the decision-maker for approvals and exemptions described in the MOS.

Manufacturers and type-certification holders: The MOS repeatedly ties obligations to the type certification basis of an aeroplane. Requirements frequently refer to the standards "under which the aeroplane was type certificated" (eg ss 10.4, 28.1, 45). That means the holder of the type certificate and the manufacturer are directly affected at the design and certification stage, since many MOS provisions are additional airworthiness standards to be satisfied for regulatory acceptance under Part 90.

Operators engaged in air transport operations: Part 3 and Part 4 explicitly limit many standards to aeroplanes "engaged in air transport operations" (s 6 and s 59). The MOS’s note defines air transport operations by reference to the CASR Dictionary and the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 (s 6, note). Practically, this places direct compliance duties on operators of scheduled or regular public transport services, including the fitment and maintenance of emergency lighting, escape devices, signage, seat restraints and LGAW devices according to the MOS specifications (eg ss 4, 10, 26, 34, 35, 56).

Maintenance, modification and cabin refit organisations: Where the MOS prescribes material or equipment standards for cabin elements, signage, escape devices, or interior emergency lighting, organisations performing work on cabins must ensure installed items meet the correct MOS variant for the aircraft’s type-certificate filing date and manufacturing/retrofit dates (see ss 1.3-1.4 and ss 51.4-51.7 for interior materials rules tied to manufacturing or replacement windows).

Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA): CASA is the entity that approves departures from MOS standards in specified circumstances. The MOS explicitly allows CASA to approve alternative arrangements where "special circumstances" make compliance impracticable (eg s 17.5 for seating configurations, s 51.3 for interior materials). CASA is also the regulator that will use the MOS to assess whether an aeroplane meets additional airworthiness requirements under Part 90 (s 2.2).

Passengers and their safety delegates indirectly: Passengers are the ultimate beneficiaries of safety performance standards but are affected because many of the MOS requirements determine aircraft interior layouts, seat design, signage and evacuation characteristics. For example, seat and passageway widths (ss 14, 17, 63.9) affect seating density decisions by operators.

Third-party certifiers and auditors: Airworthiness approvals, maintenance releases and continuing airworthiness assessments will rely on MOS criteria. Compliance documentation, test results (eg FPEEPM performance, self-illumination brightness levels in ss 27.2, 29.2, 31.3), and declared means of compliance (EASA/FAR references) will be required for audits and approvals.

Regulated items with concentrated operational costs: The MOS affects concentrated cost-bearing actors more intensely , aircraft owners and operators who must retrofit, replace or maintain emergency lighting systems, escape devices, interior materials and LGAW devices to meet MOS requirements. Some requirements are conditional on manufacturing or type-certificate dates, so aircraft in certain vintage cohorts face either grandfathering (reduced immediate cost) or retrofit obligations depending on prior approvals and the MOS’s transitional rules.

Duties under the MOS arise from its function as an additional airworthiness standard under CASR Part 90. The MOS sets prescriptive duties on design, fitment, performance and marking of seats, exits, lighting, escape devices, cabin materials and warning systems. Rights are limited and procedural: where the MOS permits CASA to approve alternatives or exceptions, the holder of a type certificate or an operator has the right to apply for such approvals; CASA has the discretion to grant or deny them, subject to the MOS’s specified criteria (see s 17.5 and s 51.3).

Specific duties (selected, grounded in the MOS):

Cabin crew seats (s 4): A cabin crew seat must be located near floor-level emergency exits, provide direct view where possible (s 4(b)), face forward or rearward, have an energy-absorbing rest supporting arms, shoulders, head and spine (s 4(c)), be positioned so it does not obstruct passageways and exits when stowed (s 4(d)), be placed to minimise injury risk from galley/stowage/cart items (s 4(e)), and be equipped with a restraint system comprising a combined safety belt and symmetric shoulder harness with single point release and inertia load factors per the aircraft certification basis (s 4(f)(i)-(iii)). Alternative standards: mirrors may substitute for direct view for certain older certification bases (s 5.1); previously approved combined belts/harnesses installed before 6 March 1980 may continue in service (s 5.2).
Flight crew observer seat (s 5B): For specified models listed in s 5B (DHC‑8, Fokker 27, Fokker 28, SAAB 340), a single shoulder strap harness is acceptable for the cockpit observer’s seat in place of a symmetrical harness, but only where that seat was approved as part of the type design.
Emergency exits (s 5D): Emergency exits must admit an ellipse of 483 mm by 660 mm and be unobstructed at all times (s 5D(a)-(b)).
Escape devices (s 10): For aeroplanes with type-certificate applications filed before 1 May 1972, passenger escape devices must be self-supporting slides (or equivalent) that automatically deploy with exit opening and erect within 10 seconds and remain self-supporting on the ground even with collapsed landing gear (s 10.1(a)-(b)). Deployment may be prevented in non-emergency conditions where appropriate for service doors (s 10.2). For flight crew emergency exits on these vintage types, rope or equivalent devices must withstand static loads of 181.6 kg and be attached appropriately (s 10.3). For later type-certificated aeroplanes, escape devices must meet the aircraft’s type-certificated design requirements (s 10.4).
Access to emergency exits and passageway widths (ss 14-19): Transport category aeroplanes must meet specified passageway widths (eg 508 mm for Type I/II, s 14.1) and unobstructed access arrangements (ss 15-19). For certain configurations and seat counts, narrower passageways are permitted subject to rules and CASA approvals (eg s 17.3-17.7).
Interior emergency marking and locating signs (ss 26-31): Conspicuous marking, visibility in smoke, locating signs visible from main aisles and minimum letter sizes and self-illumination brightness criteria for certain vintage categories are prescribed (eg ss 26.1-26.4, 27.1-27.3, 29.1-29.3). Alternative universal exit symbols are permitted where they comply with EASA AMC 25.812 as in force on 19 September 2007 (s 30).
Interior emergency lighting and FPEEPM (ss 34-37, 35): Transport-category aeroplanes with 20+ seats type-certificated after 1 January 1958 must have FPEEPM that enables passengers to identify the escape path when overhead illumination is obscured (s 35.1-35.3). Interior emergency lighting must be independent of main lighting (s 34.1), must include illuminated exit markings and general cabin illumination sources (s 34.3), and must remain on for at least 10 minutes after an emergency landing under critical ambient conditions (s 36(f)). Controls must include on/off/armed cockpit positions and cabin crew station control where cabin crew are required (s 36(a)-(b)). Systems designed to be continuously on need not meet the control requirements but still must meet the 10‑minute illumination requirement (s 37).
Exterior emergency marking and lighting (ss 40-45): Exterior markings that identify outside means of opening, a 50 mm coloured band highlighting exits, reflectance contrast rules (s 40.3), and illumination criteria for over-wing and not‑over‑wing exits are prescribed. For older type-certificates, the instrument specifies lux values for ground and step areas (ss 43-44).
Cabin interior materials (s 51): Operators must use materials that meet the "relevant FAR" (FAR 25.853(d) as in force 6 March 1995) unless CASA approves otherwise in writing (s 51.2). CASA may approve alternatives only if "exceptional circumstances" make compliance impracticable (s 51.3). Specific heat release rate and smoke testing thresholds apply depending on manufacturing and refit dates (ss 51.4-51.7).
Landing gear aural warning (LGAW) (ss 56-58, 67): Large aeroplanes with retractable landing gear must have a LGAW that functions continuously in specified flap/gear conditions (s 56). The LGAW must not have a readily available manual shut-off (s 57(a)), must be additional to the throttle-actuated device (s 57(b)), and may utilise parts of the throttle-actuated system (s 57(c)). For small aeroplanes with wing flaps and retractable landing gear, similar continuous warning requirements apply and the device cannot be turned off by flight crew (s 67.2).

Rights and approvals:

CASA approval and alternative configurations: CASA may, in writing, approve different seating configurations or alternative material standards where special or exceptional circumstances exist (ss 17.5, 51.3). An exit row seating configuration may be deemed approved where it is subject to a historic Airworthiness Directive exclusion as specified (s 17.7).
Alternative means of compliance: Where the MOS allows alternative standards (eg EASA AMC 25.812, s 30), operators and manufacturers may adopt those alternatives provided they comply with the referenced evolving external documents and CASA accepts them.

Regulatory effect: The MOS sets standards that must be met to comply with CASR Part 90. The MOS itself does not list penalties but non-compliance with required standards will affect airworthiness acceptance and the ability to certify aircraft for air transport operations under Part 21 and Part 90 (see ss 2.1-2.2).

The MOS is a Manual of Standards made under reg 90.020 CASR 1998; it sets the technical standards that are "required" for CASR Part 90 compliance (s 2.2). The MOS text itself does not specify criminal or civil penalties or an enforcement regime within its body. Instead, enforcement and penalties flow from the underlying regulatory framework of CASR 1998 and the broader airworthiness and regulatory certification regime in which the MOS operates.

Sources within the MOS that set the enforcement context:

Additional airworthiness requirements: The MOS exists because Part 90 of CASR 1998 "sets out the airworthiness requirements for an aircraft that are in addition to the type certification basis and any requirements for the issue of a certificate of airworthiness under Part 21" (s 2.1). This locates MOS compliance as a precondition to meeting Part 90’s airworthiness obligations and therefore to achieving and maintaining the certificate of airworthiness needed to operate in regulated air transport roles.
CASA as approving authority: The MOS repeatedly prescribes that where alternatives, exemptions or approvals are permitted (for example s 17.5 and s 51.3), those approvals are provided by CASA "in writing". CASA therefore has a decision and supervisory role in implementation and enforcement. CASA’s ability to approve or reject alternate configurations functionally affects whether an aircraft will be deemed to meet Part 90.
Interaction with other regulatory instruments: The MOS refers to compliance with FAR standards and EASA AMC means of compliance; the MOS also references Airworthiness Directives (eg s 17.7 referencing an exclusion from AD/General/73 under reg 39.004 CASR 1998). Enforcement of MOS requirements will therefore be administered in the context of CASA’s compliance, oversight and airworthiness directive regimes.

What the MOS does not do, and practical enforcement consequence:

The MOS does not itself set fines, sanctions or criminal offences. It is a standards instrument intended to be read and applied under CASR. Enforcement actions such as prohibition notices, grounding orders, suspension or cancellation of certificates, infringement notices or prosecutions would be matters arising from CASA action under the CASR/CAA framework; the MOS does not enumerate those actions.
The practical enforcement consequence of non-compliance is administrative and certification risk: failure to meet MOS requirements will generally impede a showing of compliance with Part 90, which in turn may impede issuance or continuation of a certificate of airworthiness or other relevant authorisations for air transport operations. That practical effect is grounded in s 2.1, which links Part 90 standards to type-certification and the certificate of airworthiness processes.

Compliance mechanisms and documentary evidence:

The MOS will be used as the standard against which means of compliance, test data and certification documentation are assessed for features such as escape device performance, interior materials test results (FAR 25.853), self-illumination luminance levels, FPEEPM tests, and LGAW functional tests. CASA’s approval in writing of alternative arrangements is documented and is the procedural mechanism by which deviations are accepted (eg ss 17.5, 51.3).
Where the MOS requires specific brightness or reflectance thresholds (eg ss 27.2, 29.2, 31.3, 40.3) or specific mechanical performance (eg s 10.1 deployment/erection times), compliance will be determined by test, inspection and CASA’s acceptance of the test evidence and documentation.

Because the MOS is incorporated into the CASR compliance fabric (ss 2.1-2.2), enforcement is a CASR matter and will follow CASA’s powers and regulatory enforcement framework under the Civil Aviation Act and the CASR framework. The MOS itself is the technical benchmark used in those processes.

The MOS sits within the CASR 1998 regulatory architecture and interacts with other regulatory instruments by reference, precedence and approval pathways.

Primary posture: standards for additional airworthiness requirements under CASR Part 90. The MOS provides standards required for compliance with Part 90 (s 2.2). Part 90 obligations are additional to an aircraft’s type certification basis and Part 21 certificate of airworthiness requirements (s 2.1). Thus the MOS complements and supplements the type certification and certificate-of-airworthiness regime in CASR 1998.

References to external standards: The MOS explicitly uses and references overseas regulatory and compliance documents:

FAR references: The MOS defines Type I-IV exits by reference to FAR 25.807 "as in force on 25 March 1998" (s 1.2) and uses FAR 25.853(d) as the "relevant FAR" for interior materials testing "as in force on 6 March 1995" (s 51.1). The MOS also exempts application of certain MOS standards where the aircraft complies with FAR 25.729 as in force on 6 January 1992 or later amendments (s 55). Those embedded references mean that compliance assessments may require recourse to the historical text of FAR provisions as specified by date.
EASA AMC reference: For alternative exit markings, the MOS permits the universal exit symbol provided it "complies with the means of compliance set out in EASA AMC 25.812(b)(1) and (2) as in force on 19 September 2007" (s 30). This creates a pathway for harmonised European AMC-based means of compliance.

Precedence and inconsistency: The MOS contains an express note that where an MOS standard is inconsistent with an ICAO Standard, the MOS standard prevails to the extent of the inconsistency (s 2.2, note). This indicates the MOS is the operative domestic standard even if it deviates from ICAO obligations, at least for purposes of CASA compliance under Part 90.

Interaction with airworthiness directives and Part 21: The MOS references Airworthiness Directive exclusions as a means to deem certain seating configurations approved (s 17.7 references exclusion from AD/General/73 under reg 39.004 CASR 1998). The MOS therefore interacts with the Airworthiness Directive regime and Part 21 certification and continued airworthiness mechanisms.

Operational regulation connections: The MOS defines standards that are necessary for operation in "air transport operations," a defined term in the CASR 1998 Dictionary and linked to the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 (s 6, note). Consequently, rules under Parts of CASR addressing operations, manuals, crew training, and continuing airworthiness interact with MOS standards; e.g., if MOS requires seat locks in a take-off/landing position (s 16.2), an operator’s procedures under operational regulations must reflect and enforce that practice.

Administrative discretion and approvals: The MOS contemplates CASA approvals in writing where special or exceptional circumstances exist (ss 17.5, 51.3). That inserts an administrative law overlay , CASA’s exercise of discretion will be governed by the Civil Aviation Act, CASR decision‑making processes, and administrative law obligations.

Transitional and temporal interactions: Because many MOS obligations are date-qualified, their practical operation requires cross-referencing manufacturing dates, type-certificate filing dates, and the dates of any cabin replacements or substantial interior modifications (see ss 1.3-1.4, 51.4-51.7). This creates an interaction with historical certification records and the documentary evidence maintained under Part 21 and continuing airworthiness rules.

In sum, the MOS is an implementing standards instrument that must be read alongside CASR Part 90, Part 21 type-certification rules, Airworthiness Directives under reg 39.004, and the relevant historic versions of FAR and EASA AMC documents specified in the MOS.

The MOS compilation provided is stated to have been prepared on 6 November 2017, taking into account amendments up to Part 90 Manual of Standards Amendment Instrument 2017 (No. 1), and is a compilation of MOS Part 90 Instrument 2010 as amended and in force on 3 November 2017 (front matter).

Table of Manual of Standards (Schedule information):

MOS 90 Instrument 2010: registered 25 November 2010, commenced 1 December 2011 (F2010L03095). This is the foundational MOS instrument.
MOS 90 2011 No. 1: registered 17 October 2011, commenced 18 October 2011 (F2011L02077). The Table of Amendments records that s 1 was repealed and the schedule headings and titles were replaced under MOS 90 2011 No. 1, and that s 31 was amended in MOS 90 2011 No. 1 (see Table of Amendments rows).
MOS 90 2017 No. 1: registered 2 November 2017, commenced 3 November 2017 (F2017L01414). The Table of Amendments shows many additions, amendments and repeals effected by MOS 90 2017 No. 1. The Table entries identify specific sections as added (ad.), amended (am.), or repealed (rep.) under the 2017 instrument.

Selected changes documented in the Table of Amendments (highlights grounded in the Table):

Sections added in 2017 (ad.): s 5A, s 5B, s 5C, s 5D, s 5E, s 5F, s 31 (amended in 2011 and again in 2017), s 52 (amended), s 55 (amended), s 59 (amended) and many other sections show "am." or "ad." in the Table. The Table shows that s 3 and s 4 were repealed in MOS 2011 No.1 and s 3 was amended in MOS 2017 No.1. The Table entry format explicitly marks the provision affected and how it was affected (eg "am. MOS 90 2017 No. 1").
Historic amendments: s 31 was amended by MOS 90 2011 No. 1 and again by MOS 90 2017 No. 1. Sections s 10, s 17-20, s 35, s 49-52, s 55, s 59 and s 65 show amendment entries associated with MOS 2017 No. 1 as recorded in the Table of Amendments.
Repeals: The Table indicates s 1 (in the MOS document) was repealed by MOS 90 2011 No. 1 and s 21 was repealed by MOS 90 2017 No. 1.

The Table of Amendments in the compilation is detailed and lists many provision-level changes. The compilation’s notes and the Table make clear that the MOS as presented is the instrument as amended up to the 2017 amendment instrument. Users seeking the chronological amendment pathway or the precise text of earlier versions must consult the FRLI registration entries and the original amending instruments referenced in the Table (the Table provides FRLI identifiers: F2010L03095, F2011L02077, F2017L01414).

Practically, the MOS’s amendment history signals that: (a) the MOS has been substantively updated since its 2010 instrument; (b) multiple provisions were added in the 2017 instrument; and (c) some earlier provisions were repealed or replaced in 2011. The Table is the authoritative mapping in the compilation for how and when each MOS provision was altered, including additions of definitions (eg 1A added in MOS 2011 No.1) and the addition of new sub‑divisions.

The MOS compilation provided does not include any judicial decisions or litigation history. The text of the MOS does not record or reference litigation, court decisions, appeals or legal disputes concerning its interpretation or application. The Table of Amendments records only the administrative amending instruments and not judicial proceedings.

Consequences for practice:

Absence of recorded litigation in the MOS does not mean disputes have not occurred in practice about interpretation or CASA decisions under Part 90; it means the MOS document itself does not annotate or collect litigation. Legal practitioners should therefore treat the MOS as a standards instrument and consult administrative decisions, aviation tribunal records or judicial databases for any case law interpreting MOS provisions or CASA’s exercise of discretion under sections such as 17.5 and 51.3.
If a dispute arises from CASA’s approval or refusal to approve an alternate seating configuration, alternative interior materials or an exit-row seating arrangement, the MOS will be central to the technical assessment. Judicial review of CASA’s decisions would proceed on administrative law principles and factual findings about safety compliance; the MOS text provides the benchmark technical standard against which those decisions would be measured.
Where the MOS cross-references other instruments (FAR provisions, EASA AMC), disputes might require interpretation of how those external documents, as specified by date, operate as means of compliance. In the absence of MOS-specific litigation notes, practitioners should compile the contemporaneous external standards (the historical FAR/EASA texts cited by date) when preparing or defending a CASA decision or an operator’s compliance case.

In short, the MOS compilation contains no litigation history; the practical implication is that any legal challenge to CASA’s application of the MOS will turn on the MOS text itself, CASA’s reasoning and the factual record. Practitioners should therefore rely on CASA administrative decisions and judicial records external to the MOS compilation for litigation precedents.

The MOS contains multiple detailed technical traps and potential ambivalence points that practitioners, designers and operators should be alert to. These are not normative judgments, merely identification of operational and interpretive pitfalls grounded in the text.

Date- and type-certificate dependence: Many substantive obligations hinge on the date an aircraft’s type‑certificate application was filed (ss 1.3-1.4). Practitioners must establish the correct date and whether subsequent type-certificate amendments were filed before or after that date, since many requirements bifurcate on that basis (eg ss 10.1 vs 10.4, ss 35.1, 43-45, 48.2-48.3). Failure to identify the correct type-certificate filing date can lead to applying the wrong standard for escape devices, lighting, FPEEPM, or interior materials.
Manufacturing and retrofit windows: Some requirements depend on the aircraft’s manufacturing date or the date of a "substantially complete replacement" of cabin interior components (ss 51.4-51.7). An operator undertaking a cabin refurbishment must document the extent and date of replacement carefully; otherwise, a different test regime or performance threshold may apply.
Grandfathering and legacy approvals: The MOS contains specific grandfathering (eg s 5.2 for pre‑1980 combined harnesses) and allowances for mirrors in lieu of seat relocation for early certification bases (s 5.1). However, these are narrow and specific; relying on an old approval without documentary evidence may lead to non-compliance. Where a combined belt/harness was "approved and installed before 6 March 1980" it may be retained , that approval must be demonstrable.
CASA approval discretion: Sections that allow CASA to approve alternative configurations (s 17.5, s 51.3) require a written CASA approval. Applicants should expect a discretionary process, and the MOS specifies examples of "special circumstances" which may justify CASA acceptance of deviations (s 17.6). There is process risk and potential lead time in securing these approvals.
Precise measurement requirements: Exit opening geometry, passageway widths and self-illumination brightness levels are precise. For example, the emergency exit must admit an ellipse 483 mm by 660 mm (s 5D(a)). Passageway widths vary by exit type and seat-row configuration (for Type III exits for 60+ seats see s 17.1 with alternative options in s 17.3). Small measurement errors or misinterpretations (eg whether seat positions are "adjusted to their most adverse position" for measurement, s 17.2 and s 17.4(a)) can render a configuration non‑compliant.
Complex seat/exit interplays: Exit access provisions are detailed and context-dependent. For example, the combination of Type III/IV exit rules for aircraft with different seat counts (ss 17-19) and the allowance for "minor obstructions with compensating factors" for small seat counts (s 19, and its example note) create grey areas where subjective judgement about "compensating factors" and "minor" obstructions will matter.
Lighting independence vs shared illumination: Interior emergency lighting must be independent of the aeroplane’s main lighting and power supply (s 34.1) but the MOS allows sources of general cabin illumination to be common to both systems (s 34.2). Interpreting what constitutes acceptable "common" sources and ensuring the lighting remains on for 10 minutes after an emergency (s 36(f)) requires careful electrical and system design documentation.
Self-illumination thresholds and maintenance: Older aircraft categories require self-illumination minima on installation and minima in service that must not decrease below thresholds (eg s 27.2, s 29.2, s 31.3). Compliance is not "install once"; luminance monitoring and maintenance are implied to ensure in-service brightness does not fall below MOS minima.
Fire extinguishing agent prohibition and temporal scope: The MOS prescribes a prohibition mechanism linking reg 90.150 with the MOS list: "Regulation 90.150 prohibits the carriage of a fire extinguishing agent that is prescribed in the Part 90 MOS" (note at s 5E). Sections 5F.1-5F.2 prescribe that for aircraft manufactured on or after 31 December 2018, fire extinguishing agents containing Group II Montreal Protocol controlled substances are prescribed for certain types of extinguishers (lavatory disposal receptacle fitted extinguishers and any hand‑held extinguishers). The practical point: operators of aircraft manufactured on/after 31/12/2018 must not carry extinguishers containing those Group II substances in the enumerated applications, because reg 90.150 then operates to prohibit carriage. Practitioners must confirm extinguisher contents and aircraft manufacture dates.
Dual references to external standards with fixed dates: The MOS references FAR and EASA AMC texts by a specific date (eg FAR 25.853(d) as in force on 6 March 1995, s 51.1; EASA AMC 25.812 as in force on 19 September 2007, s 30). Where manufacturers or auditors rely on updated versions of these external standards, they must be careful to use the MOS-specified historic version (unless CASA accepts otherwise). This creates an administrative burden to retrieve archived versions.
LGAW shut-off prohibition: The MOS requires LGAW devices not to have a "manual shut-off means readily available to the flight crew such that it could be operated instinctively, inadvertently, or by habitual reflexive action" (s 57(a)). That is a design constraint that impacts human factors and control placement; a unit with a crew-accessible off switch can be non-compliant even if technically functioning.
Hidden cross-relations with operational rules: Some MOS obligations imply operational procedures (eg locking seat backs upright using a manual lock as a compensating factor, s 16.2). Operators must ensure procedures, training and operational instructions align with the technical features installed; otherwise the combination of a hardware feature and a procedural mitigation may be non-compliant.

In practice, the "gotchas" reduce to careful mapping of each aircraft to the precise combination of type-certificate filing date, manufacturing date, retrofit dates and the presence of historical approvals. Documentation of approvals, type-certificate amendments, AD exclusions and CASA written approvals is critical before assuming compliance.

Compliance with the MOS requires a documented, aircraft-specific approach addressing date-based application, hardware or material conformity, lighting/signage performance, escape-device characteristics, restraint systems and LGAW installation. The following practical checklist and steps are grounded in the MOS text and indicate the concrete actions necessary.

Establish the aircraft’s certification and manufacturing history (ss 1.3-1.4, s 2.1):

Determine the type certificate application filing date for the model/series, and track any type certificate amendments and their filing dates (s 1.3-1.4). Many MOS obligations vary depending on whether the application was filed before or after specified dates (1 Jan 1958, 31 Dec 1964, 1 May 1972, 20 Aug 1988/1990).
Record the aircraft manufacturing date and the dates of any "substantially complete replacements" of cabin interior components, because ss 51.4-51.7 base interior material obligations on those dates.

Map each requirement to the aircraft-specific MOS variant:

For cabin crew and flight crew seats (ss 4, 5.1-5.2, 5B): verify location near floor-level exits, sightlines or mirror acceptability for older certification bases (s 5.1), harness type and single-point release, energy-absorbing rest, and documentation of any historical approvals allowing alternative harness arrangements (s 5.2 and s 5B).
For emergency exits (s 5D): measure each exit to confirm it admits an ellipse 483 mm by 660 mm and that the minimum opening remains unobstructed at all times. Document the measurement method and show compliance.

Escape devices and access to exits (ss 10, 13-19, 48):

For older types (type-certificate filed pre-1 May 1972) ensure passenger escape devices are self-supporting slides or equivalent automatically deploying and erecting within 10 seconds and able to be self-supporting even if landing gear collapses (s 10.1-10.2). Retain test data or manufacturer certification of such performance.
For flight crew emergency escape devices on those older types, ensure attachment points and static-load capability of 181.6 kg (s 10.3).
For Type I-IV exit access and passageway widths, measure aisles and passageways with adjacent seats adjusted to their most adverse position (s 17.2). For Type I/II exits ensure at least 508 mm clear width (s 14.1). Where alternative passageway arrangements are proposed (two 152 mm passageways, s 17.3) ensure the unobstructed space adjacent to the exit meets the dimensions in s 17.4(b).
If non-standard seating is necessary, prepare and submit evidence to CASA and apply for a written approval under s 17.5, documenting "special circumstances" per s 17.6.

Marking and signage (ss 26-31, 40):

Interior: ensure each passenger emergency exit and access is conspicuously marked, visible in smoke and recognisable from a distance equal to the width of the cabin (ss 26.1-26.3). Ensure locating signs are visible from main aisles and are installed above or next to exits per s 26.4.
Readability and illumination: for older transport-category aeroplanes filed before 1 May 1972, ensure white 25 mm letters on 50 mm red background or the electrical alternative per s 27.1-27.3. For type-certificated after 1 May 1972, use the interior exit marking requirements under which the aircraft was type-certificated or alternative universal exit symbol per s 30 (which requires EASA AMC 25.812 compliance). Ensure self-illumination minima and in-service minima are met (eg s 27.2, s 29.2, s 31.3).
Emergency handle instructions: place handle location and opening instructions near each exit and readable from 762 mm (s 31.1-31.2). For older transport-category aeroplanes with Type II+ exits filed before 1 May 1972, provide the rotary-arrow and OPEN legend as detailed in s 31.4.
Exterior: mark external means of opening and provide a 50 mm coloured band highlighting exits on fuselage sides, with reflectance contrast rules observed (s 40.1-40.3).

Interior emergency lighting and FPEEPM (ss 34-37, 35):

For transport-category aeroplanes with 20+ seats type-certificated after 1 Jan 1958, install FPEEPM that provides guidance when overhead illumination is obscured (s 35.1-35.3). Collect FPEEPM test evidence showing visibility to the first exit and exit identification by features not more than 1.22 m above the floor.
Design interior emergency lighting to be independent of the main lighting system and its power supply (s 34.1), include illuminated exit markings and emergency exit locating signs (s 34.3), and ensure manual cockpit control with "on", "off" and "armed" positions and a cabin crew control where required (s 36(a)-(b)). Document prevention of inadvertent operation (s 36(c)), automatic behaviour when armed (s 36(e)), and a minimum 10-minute illumination endurance at the critical ambient conditions after an emergency landing (s 36(f)).
If using continuous photoluminescent or radioluminescent systems that cannot be switched off, ensure they meet the 10-minute requirement (s 37).

Exterior emergency lighting and escape device illumination (ss 41-45, 44.5):

Where the aircraft’s type-certificate application date triggers specific lux criteria, measure and document exterior illumination on step areas, required slip-resistant escape-route areas, and ground surface where evacuees first contact the ground (ss 43-44).
If an exterior lighting subsystem serves only an escape device and is automatically activated by its deployment, ensure it is independent of the main emergency lighting, it is not adversely affected by device stowage, and it provides sufficient ground illumination (s 44.5).

Cabin interior materials (s 51):

Identify which cabin components fall under the "relevant FAR" (FAR 25.853(d) as in force on 6 March 1995), obtain or produce the required test results or certificates for applicable materials. For aircraft manufactured or substantially refitted in specified windows, apply the applicable heat-release and smoke-testing thresholds (ss 51.4-51.7).
If exceptional circumstances mean compliance is impracticable, prepare an application to CASA under s 51.3 documenting the exceptional circumstances and proposed alternatives.

Fire extinguishing agents (s 5F):

For aircraft manufactured on or after 31 December 2018, ensure that hand‑held fire extinguishers and lavatory disposal receptacle extinguishers do not contain Group II substances of Annex A of the Montreal Protocol as specified in s 5F.1. Since reg 90.150 prohibits carriage of a fire extinguishing agent that is prescribed in the Part 90 MOS, update extinguisher inventories and replacement schedules accordingly.

Landing gear aural warning (ss 56-58, 67):

Fit LGAW devices that operate continuously during the specified flap/gear combinations (s 56) and ensure no readily available manual shut-off exists (s 57(a)). Retain evidence that the warning is additional to throttle-actuated devices (s 57(b)).
For small aeroplanes with wing flaps and retractable landing gear (s 67), ensure LGAW sounds continuously under the described conditions and cannot be turned off by flight crew (s 67.2).

Documentation and approvals:

Maintain a compliance binder showing the aircraft’s type-certificate filing date, manufacturing date, documentation for any previous approvals, FPEEPM test reports, lighting luminance measurements, material test reports, escape-device certification, harness approvals, and CASA written approvals for any deviations (ss 1.3-1.4, 17.5, 51.3).
Where alternative means of compliance are proposed (eg using EASA AMC 25.812 for universal exit symbols, s 30), provide the specified AMC documentation and evidence of compliance to CASA.

Procedure and training alignment:

Where the MOS anticipates procedural compensations (eg seat backs with manual lock-upright capability and procedures to ensure they are locked during take-off and landing, s 16.2), document SOPs, train crew and ensure procedural compliance is audited.

Maintenance and in-service checks:

Establish maintenance actions to ensure self-illumination brightness remains above service minima (eg s 27.2, s 29.2, s 31.3), inspect escape-route slip-resistant surfaces and over-wing markings, and implement periodic tests of LGAW functionality.

Apply early for CASA approvals where needed:

For non-standard seating arrangements, interior material exceptions or any special circumstance, prepare a CASA submission with evidence and rationale under the MOS provisions that permit CASA discretion (s 17.5, s 51.3) and allow for CASA review lead time.

In sum, compliance requires precise documentary mapping of dates and approvals, engineering and measurement evidence for physical and lighting standards, concerted coordination between design/certification, maintenance and operations teams, and administrative interaction with CASA for any proposed deviations. The MOS’s many date-based thresholds and cross-references mean compliance workflows must be aircraft-specific and evidence-rich.

Part 90 Manual of Standards

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Deep Dive

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Part 90 Manual of Standards

Source text: opening excerpt

1 Part 90 Manual of Standards

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Who it affects

Key duties and rights

Penalties and enforcement

How it interacts with other laws

Amendment history

Litigation history

Gotchas

How to comply