(a) No person may take off an airplane with inoperable instruments or equipment installed unless the following conditions are met:
(1) An approved Minimum Equipment List exists for that airplane.
(2) The responsible Flight Standards office has issued the certificate holder operations specifications authorizing operations in accordance with an approved Minimum Equipment List. The flight crew shall have direct access at all times prior to flight to all of the information contained in the approved Minimum Equipment List through printed or other means approved by the Administrator in the certificate holders operations specifications. An approved Minimum Equipment List, as authorized by the operations specifications, constitutes an approved change to the type design without requiring recertification.
(3) The approved Minimum Equipment List must:
(i) Be prepared in accordance with the limitations specified in paragraph (b) of this section.
(ii) Provide for the operation of the airplane with certain instruments and equipment in an inoperable condition.
(4) Records identifying the inoperable instruments and equipment and the information required by paragraph (a)(3)(ii) of this section must be available to the pilot.
(5) The airplane is operated under all applicable conditions and limitations contained in the Minimum Equipment List and the operations specifications authorizing use of the Minimum Equipment List.
(b) The following instruments and equipment may not be included in the Minimum Equipment List:
(1) Instruments and equipment that are either specifically or otherwise required by the airworthiness requirements under which the airplane is type certificated and which are essential for safe operations under all operating conditions.
(2) Instruments and equipment required by an airworthiness directive to be in operable condition unless the airworthiness directive provides otherwise.
(3) Instruments and equipment required for specific operations by this part.
(c) Notwithstanding paragraphs (b)(1) and (b)(3) of this section, an airplane with inoperable instruments or equipment may be operated under a special flight permit under §§ 21.197 and 21.199 of this chapter.
[Doc. No. 25780, 56 FR 12310, Mar. 22, 1991; Amdt. 121-222, 56 FR 14290, Apr. 8, 1991; Amdt. 121-253, 61 FR 2615, Jan. 26, 1996; Docket FAA-2018-0119, Amdt. 121-380, 83 FR 9172, Mar. 5, 2018]