Is It Airworthy?

With a few exceptions, the typical personal aircraft is relatively reliable. Modern, solid-state avionics rarely break, we long ago figured out how to build and maintain mechanical flight instruments and, presuming the airframe is both flown and maintained regularly, dispatch reliability of personal aircraft often can be compared to the modern automobile. But, stuff does break every now and then, usually right before were prepping to launch for a family vacation or an important business trip. Some failures automatically mean going via human mailing tube; others often can be resolved after a couple of hours in the shop. In between those two extremes are equipment failures which may reduce the aircrafts capabilities, but dont materially affect either its airworthiness, ability to fly or safety.

Key Takeaways:

• The go/no-go decision for flight with inoperative equipment hinges on whether the item is required by FAR 91.205 for the specific intended operation (e.g., day VFR versus night IFR).
• If not required for the flight, FAR 91.213 mandates that the inoperative equipment must either be removed (with logbook updates) or placarded "inoperative," deactivated, and determined by the pilot or mechanic not to pose a hazard.
• Deferred maintenance on inoperative equipment is temporary; items must be repaired, replaced, or removed by the aircraft's next required inspection as per FAR 91.405, or a special flight permit may be necessary if the aircraft is deemed unairworthy.

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