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:

• Pilots can often fly personal aircraft with inoperative equipment if it's not explicitly required for the planned flight operation according to FAR 91.205.
• Non-required inoperative equipment must be either removed and documented (including weight & balance updates) or placarded "inoperative" and deactivated, with an assurance from a pilot or mechanic that it poses no hazard.
• Any inoperative equipment deferred under these regulations must be repaired, replaced, or removed by the aircraft's next scheduled inspection (FAR 91.405), and pilots must always consider the equipment's impact on operational safety.

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