Inoperative Equipment and the MEL
91.213: the decision path when something is broken before the flight.
11 min read · Regulations: FAR and AIM
After this lesson you can
- Distinguish the MEL path from the 91.213(d) path for an aircraft with no approved MEL.
- List the four categories of equipment whose failure grounds the aircraft under 91.213(d).
- Describe the placarding procedure required before flight with inoperative equipment.
- Name the periodic inspections required to keep a general aviation airplane airworthy.
A broken piece of equipment does not automatically ground the airplane. 91.213 organizes the decision: it defines two paths, one for operators with an approved Minimum Equipment List, and one, far more common in general aviation, for the aircraft that has none.
This section is an exercise in reasoning more than memorization. The question is never "is this serious?" -- it is "does this piece of equipment fall into one of the four categories that require it?"
The rest of this lesson
- 1.The two regimes
- 2.The four grounding categories
- 3.The procedure when the flight remains possible
- 4.Airframe inspections
- 5.A worked example: the fuel gauge
These 5 sections, their figures, the checks along the way and the end-of-lesson quiz come with the PPL track. Paid once, yours for good.
Key terms
Try to recall each definition before turning the card.