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210 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 121.527 

scheduled for duty aloft for a total of 
not more than 20 hours within 30 con-
secutive days in two-pilot crews (with 
or without additional flight crew-
members) are those set forth in 
§ 121.523. 

(e) The flight time limitations for a 

pilot assigned to each of two-pilot, 
two-pilot and additional flight crew-
member, and three-pilot and additional 
flight crewmember crews in 30 consecu-
tive days, and who is not subject to 
paragraph (b), (c), or (d) of this section, 
are those listed in § 121.523. 

§ 121.527 Fatigue risk management 

system. 

(a) No certificate holder may exceed 

any provision of this subpart unless ap-
proved by the FAA under a Fatigue 
Risk Management System. 

(b) The Fatigue Risk Management 

System must include: 

(1) A fatigue risk management pol-

icy. 

(2) An education and awareness train-

ing program. 

(3) A fatigue reporting system. 
(4) A system for monitoring 

flightcrew fatigue. 

(5) An incident reporting process. 
(6) A performance evaluation. 

[Doc. No. FAA–2009–1093, 77 FR 403, Jan. 4, 
2012] 

Subpart T—Flight Operations 

S

OURCE

: Docket No. 6258, 29 FR 19219, Dec. 

31, 1964, unless otherwise noted. 

§ 121.531 Applicability. 

This subpart prescribes requirements 

for flight operations applicable to all 
certificate holders, except where other-
wise specified. 

§ 121.533 Responsibility for oper-

ational control: Domestic oper-

ations. 

(a) Each certificate holder con-

ducting domestic operations is respon-
sible for operational control. 

(b) The pilot in command and the air-

craft dispatcher are jointly responsible 
for the preflight planning, delay, and 
dispatch release of a flight in compli-
ance with this chapter and operations 
specifications. 

(c) The aircraft dispatcher is respon-

sible for— 

(1) Monitoring the progress of each 

flight; 

(2) Issuing necessary information for 

the safety of the flight; and 

(3) Cancelling or redispatching a 

flight if, in his opinion or the opinion 
of the pilot in command, the flight can-
not operate or continue to operate 
safely as planned or released. 

(d) Each pilot in command of an air-

craft is, during flight time, in com-
mand of the aircraft and crew and is re-
sponsible for the safety of the pas-
sengers, crewmembers, cargo, and air-
plane. 

(e) Each pilot in command has full 

control and authority in the operation 
of the aircraft, without limitation, 
over other crewmembers and their du-
ties during flight time, whether or not 
he holds valid certificates authorizing 
him to perform the duties of those 
crewmembers. 

[Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19219, Dec. 31, 1964, as 
amended by Amdt. 121–253, 61 FR 2613, Jan. 
26, 1996] 

§ 121.535 Responsibility for oper-

ational control: Flag operations. 

(a) Each certificate holder con-

ducting flag operations is responsible 
for operational control. 

(b) The pilot in command and the air-

craft dispatcher are jointly responsible 
for the preflight planning, delay, and 
dispatch release of a flight in compli-
ance with this chapter and operations 
specifications. 

(c) The aircraft dispatcher is respon-

sible for— 

(1) Monitoring the progress of each 

flight; 

(2) Issuing necessary instructions and 

information for the safety of the flight; 
and 

(3) Cancelling or redispatching a 

flight if, in his opinion or the opinion 
of the pilot in command, the flight can-
not operate or continue to operate 
safely as planned or released. 

(d) Each pilot in command of an air-

craft is, during flight time, in com-
mand of the aircraft and crew and is re-
sponsible for the safety of the pas-
sengers, crewmembers, cargo, and air-
plane. 

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211 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 121.541 

(e) Each pilot in command has full 

control and authority in the operation 
of the aircraft, without limitation, 
over other crewmembers and their du-
ties during flight time, whether or not 
he holds valid certificates authorizing 
him to perform the duties of those 
crewmembers. 

(f) No pilot may operate an aircraft 

in a careless or reckless manner so as 
to endanger life or property. 

[Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19219, Dec. 31, 1964, as 
amended by Amdt. 121–253, 61 FR 2613, Jan. 
26, 1996] 

§ 121.537 Responsibility for oper-

ational control: Supplemental oper-

ations. 

(a) Each certificate holder con-

ducting supplemental operations— 

(1) Is responsible for operational con-

trol; and 

(2) Shall list each person authorized 

by it to exercise operational control in 
its operator’s manual. 

(b) The pilot in command and the di-

rector of operations are jointly respon-
sible for the initiation, continuation, 
diversion, and termination of a flight 
in compliance with this chapter and 
the operations specifications. The di-
rector of operations may delegate the 
functions for the initiation, continu-
ation, diversion, and termination of a 
flight but he may not delegate the re-
sponsibility for those functions. 

(c) The director of operations is re-

sponsible for cancelling, diverting, or 
delaying a flight if in his opinion or the 
opinion of the pilot in command the 
flight cannot operate or continue to 
operate safely as planned or released. 
The director of operations is respon-
sible for assuring that each flight is 
monitored with respect to at least the 
following: 

(1) Departure of the flight from the 

place of origin and arrival at the place 
of destination, including intermediate 
stops and any diversions therefrom. 

(2) Maintenance and mechanical 

delays encountered at places of origin 
and destination and intermediate 
stops. 

(3) Any known conditions that may 

adversely affect the safety of flight. 

(d) Each pilot in command of an air-

craft is, during flight time, in com-
mand of the aircraft and crew and is re-

sponsible for the safety of the pas-
sengers, crewmembers, cargo, and air-
craft. The pilot in command has full 
control and authority in the operation 
of the aircraft, without limitation, 
over other crewmembers and their du-
ties during flight time, whether or not 
he holds valid certificates authorizing 
him to perform the duties of those 
crewmembers. 

(e) Each pilot in command of an air-

craft is responsible for the preflight 
planning and the operation of the 
flight in compliance with this chapter 
and the operations specifications. 

(f) No pilot may operate an aircraft, 

in a careless or reckless manner, so as 
to endanger life or property. 

[Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19219, Dec. 31, 1964, as 
amended by Amdt. 121–253, 61 FR 2613, Jan. 
26, 1996] 

§ 121.538 Aircraft security. 

Certificate holders conducting oper-

ations under this part must comply 
with the applicable security require-
ments in 49 CFR chapter XII. 

[67 FR 8350, Feb. 22, 2002] 

§ 121.539 Operations notices. 

Each certificate holder shall notify 

its appropriate operations personnel of 
each change in equipment and oper-
ating procedures, including each 
known change in the use of navigation 
aids, airports, air traffic control proce-
dures and regulations, local airport 
traffic control rules, and known haz-
ards to flight, including icing and other 
potentially hazardous meteorological 
conditions and irregularities in ground 
and navigation facilities. 

§ 121.541 Operations schedules: Do-

mestic and flag operations. 

In establishing flight operations 

schedules, each certificate holder con-
ducting domestic or flag operations 
shall allow enough time for the proper 
servicing of aircraft at intermediate 
stops, and shall consider the prevailing 
winds en route and the cruising speed 
of the type of aircraft used. This cruis-
ing speed may not be more than that 
resulting from the specified cruising 
output of the engines. 

[Doc. No. 28154, 61 FR 2613, Jan. 26, 1996]