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In a perfect world, we’d never fly an airplane if anything in it were broken. However, airplanes are complex machines requiring a careful evaluation of safety and operational impact before continuing a flight with minor breakdowns.
3. Is the equipment required to be operable under the Kinds of Operations Equipment List in the Limitations section of the airplane’s Pilot’s Operating Handbook (FAR 91.213 (d))? If yes, go to step 8. If no, go to step 4.
4. Can the equipment be disabled and placarded as inoperative (FAR 91.213 (d))? If yes, go to step 6. If no, go to step 5.
5. Are you operating the airplane under an approved MEL, and does the MEL require the equipment to be operative for the type of flight (FAR 91.213 (a-c))? If yes, go to step 8. If no, go to step 6.
6. Disable, placard and document as inoperative the affected equipment.
7. Fly the airplane, paying special attention to back-up indicators or equipment that take the place of the failed equipment. Exit this checklist.
8. Do not fly the airplane until the equipment has been repaired or replaced.
In an ideal world, we’d never fly
an airplane if anything in it were
broken. In reality, we need to
evaluate the safety and operational
impact of dealing with those minor
breakdowns common to any complex
piece of machinery. The Federal
Aviation Regulations and similar
documents are designed to help us
make these critical, life-threatening
the FAA and carries the force and effect of a Federal Air Regulation – in effect it is a revision of the airworthiness sections of the Federal Air Regulations that applies only to that operator, flying that type of airplane.
Any inoperative item on an MEL calls for grounding the airplane if the MEL specifies that equipment be operable for a given type (i.e., VFR, IFR, night, revenue) of flight.
There may be an option of placarding and disabling certain equipment for types of flight ONLY if that particular equipment outage, disabling/placarding procedure, and continued operation is spelled out in the MEL. The MEL is not transferable to other operators, or other types of airplanes.
Advantage of the MEL: If approved, an MEL may allow some operations that are not permitted normally, such as a day, VFR maintenance flight with that disabled alternator warning flight out if the associated loadmeter was also broken. All such contingencies must be anticipated and included, in writing, in the proposed MEL before approval.
Disadvantage of the MEL: Like any special approval, much time, expense and effort is often required to complete the process of obtaining an MEL for your airplane.
An oft-cited disadvantage is that the MEL is not transferable to a new owner/operator. In reality this isn’t a problem; if ownership/operator status changes, the MEL is null and operation of the airplane simply reverts to 91.213 and/or the kinds of Operations and Equipment List from the POH.
Are You Legal?
If you find some instruments or installed equipment inoperative in an airplane you intend to fly, use this legal airworthiness decision tree:
1. Is the equipment required for the type (DVFR, NVFR, IFR) of flight (FAR 91.205)? If yes, go to step 5. If no, go to step 2.
2. Does the aircraft’s Pilots Operating Handbook contain a Kinds of Operations Equipment List in the Limitations section? If yes, go to step 3. If no, go to step 4.
decisions. Make sure you know what
and within the limits of the law. T&T •
your airplane needs to fly safely...
Thomas P. Turner is an ATP/ CFII/MEI, holds a Masters De- gree in Aviation Safety, and was the 2010 National FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year. Subscribe to Tom’s free FLYING LESSONS Weekly e-newsletter at www.mastery- flight-training.com.
AUGUST 2011
TWIN & TURBINE • 37
Photo by Anthony C. DeFranco