Good To Go?

Regardless of what you fly, how its equipped, and how old or new it is, you eventually will encounter inoperative instruments and/or equipment during a preflight inspection. It can be something known to the operator and the maintenance department, or it can be something new. Once the inoperative component is discovered, you have to make a determination whether its legal to fly the airplane without repairs, and then decide if its safe to fly. The two are not the same.

Friday, June 22, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

The bezel of the S-TEC 3100 gets an upgrade to accommodate new VNAV functionality and a menu button. Genesys Aerospace

Key Takeaways:

When encountering inoperative instruments or equipment, pilots must determine both the legality and safety of flight, recognizing that these two considerations are distinct.
Legal airworthiness is primarily governed by FARs 91.205 and 91.213, alongside aircraft-specific documentation such as the Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS), Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH)/Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM), Airworthiness Directives (ADs), and Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs).
Operators can either follow the general FAR provisions for inoperative equipment or obtain an FAA-approved Minimum Equipment List (MEL), which, once approved, provides specific operational guidance but requires strict adherence.
Regardless of legality, pilots must exercise practical judgment to ensure a flight is safe for the specific operational and weather conditions expected, as a legally compliant aircraft may not always be safe to fly.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Regardless of what you fly, how it’s equipped, and how old or new it is, you eventually will encounter inoperative instruments and/or equipment during a preflight inspection. It can be something known to the operator and the maintenance department, or it can be something new. Once the inoperative component is discovered, you have to make a determination whether it’s legal to fly the airplane without repairs, and then decide if it’s safe to fly. The two are not the same.

The good news is you have some guidance in FARs 91.205 and 91.213, and you also may have a minimum equipment list (MEL) to help determine what is and is not required to be operational on your planned flight. And the aircraft’s type certificate data sheet (TCDS), plus any applicable airworthiness directives (ADs), also may need to be factored into your decision, as well as any supplemental type certificates (STCs). Needless to say, you need more operating equipment for a day VFR jaunt around the pattern than you need at night or under IFR.