222 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 121.580 

(d) 

Approach. 

No person may use an 

autopilot at an altitude lower than 50 
feet below the DA(H) or MDA for the 
instrument procedure being flown, ex-
cept as follows— 

(1) For autopilots with an AFM speci-

fied altitude loss for approach oper-
ations— 

(i) An altitude no lower than twice 

the specified altitude loss if higher 
than 50 feet below the MDA or DA(H); 

(ii) An altitude no lower than 50 feet 

higher than the altitude loss specified 
in the AFM, when the following condi-
tions are met— 

(A) Reported weather conditions are 

less than the basic VFR weather condi-
tions in § 91.155 of this chapter; 

(B) Suitable visual references speci-

fied in § 91.175 of this chapter have been 
established on the instrument ap-
proach procedure; and 

(C) The autopilot is coupled and re-

ceiving both lateral and vertical path 
references; 

(iii) An altitude no lower than the 

higher of the altitude loss specified in 
the AFM or 50 feet above the TDZE, 
when the following conditions are 
met— 

(A) Reported weather conditions are 

equal to or better than the basic VFR 
weather conditions in § 91.155 of this 
chapter; and 

(B) The autopilot is coupled and re-

ceiving both lateral and vertical path 
references; or 

(iv) A greater altitude specified by 

the Administrator. 

(2) For autopilots with AFM specified 

approach altitude limitations, the 
greater of— 

(i) The minimum use altitude speci-

fied for the coupled approach mode se-
lected; 

(ii) 50 feet; or 
(iii) An altitude specified by Admin-

istrator. 

(3) For autopilots with an AFM speci-

fied negligible or zero altitude loss for 
an autopilot approach mode malfunc-
tion, the greater of— 

(i) 50 feet; or 
(ii) An altitude specified by Adminis-

trator. 

(4) If executing an autopilot coupled 

go-around or missed approach using a 
certificated and functioning autopilot 

in accordance with paragraph (e) in 
this section. 

(e) 

Go-Around/Missed Approach. 

No 

person may engage an autopilot during 
a go-around or missed approach below 
the minimum engagement altitude 
specified for takeoff and initial climb 
in paragraph (b) in this section. An 
autopilot minimum use altitude does 
not apply to a go-around/missed ap-
proach initiated with an engaged auto-
pilot. Performing a go-around or 
missed approach with an engaged auto-
pilot must not adversely affect safe ob-
stacle clearance. 

(f) 

Landing. 

Notwithstanding para-

graph (d) of this section, autopilot min-
imum use altitudes do not apply to 
autopilot operations when an approved 
automatic landing system mode is 
being used for landing. Automatic 
landing systems must be authorized in 
an operations specification issued to 
the operator. 

[Doc. No. FAA–2012–1059, 79 FR 6086, Feb. 3, 
2014] 

§ 121.580 Prohibition on interference 

with crewmembers. 

No person may assault, threaten, in-

timidate, or interfere with a crew-
member in the performance of the 
crewmember’s duties aboard an air-
craft being operated under this part. 

[Doc. No. FAA–1998–4954, 64 FR 1080, Jan. 7, 
1999] 

§ 121.581 Observer’s seat: En route in-

spections. 

(a) Except as provided in paragraph 

(c) of this section, each certificate 
holder shall make available a seat on 
the flight deck of each airplane, used 
by it in air commerce, for occupancy 
by the Administrator while conducting 
en route inspections. The location and 
equipment of the seat, with respect to 
its suitability for use in conducting en 
route inspections, is determined by the 
Administrator. 

(b) In each airplane that has more 

than one observer’s seat, in addition to 
the seats required for the crew com-
plement for which the airplane was cer-
tificated, the forward observer’s seat or 
the observer’s seat selected by the Ad-
ministrator must be made available 
when complying with paragraph (a) of 
this section. 

223 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 121.583 

(c) For any airplane type certificated 

before December 20, 1995, for not more 
than 30 passengers that does not have 
an observer seat on the flightdeck, the 
certificate holder must provide a for-
ward passenger seat with headset or 
speaker for occupancy by the Adminis-
trator while conducting en route in-
spections. 

[Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19219, Dec. 31, 1964, as 
amended by Amdt. 121–144, 43 FR 22648, May 
25, 1978; Amdt. 121–251, 60 FR 65935, Dec. 20, 
1995; Amdt. 121–288, 67 FR 2128, Jan. 15, 2002] 

§ 121.582 Means to discreetly notify a 

flightcrew. 

Except for all-cargo operations as de-

fined in § 110.2 of this chapter, after Oc-
tober 15, 2007, for all passenger car-
rying airplanes that require a lockable 
flightdeck door in accordance with 
§ 121.313(f), the certificate holder must 
have an approved means by which the 
cabin crew can discreetly notify the 
flightcrew in the event of suspicious 
activity or security breaches in the 
cabin. 

[Doc. No. FAA–2005–22449, 72 FR 45635, Aug. 
15, 2007, as amended by Amdt. 121–353, 76 FR 
7488, Feb. 10, 2011] 

§ 121.583 Carriage of persons without 

compliance with the passenger-car-
rying requirements of this part. 

(a) When authorized by the certifi-

cate holder, the following persons, but 
no others, may be carried aboard an 
airplane without complying with the 
passenger-carrying airplane require-
ments in §§ 121.309(f), 121.310, 121.391, 
121.571, and 121.587; the passenger-car-
rying operation requirements in part 
117 and §§ 121.157(c) and 121.291; the re-
quirements pertaining to passengers in 
§§ 121.285, 121.313(f), 121.317, 121.547, and 
121.573; and the information disclosure 
requirements in § 121.311(k): 

(1) A crewmember. 
(2) A company employee. 
(3) An FAA air carrier inspector, a 

DOD commercial air carrier evaluator, 
or an authorized representative of the 
National Transportation Safety Board, 
who is performing official duties. 

(4) A person necessary for— 
(i) The safety of the flight; 
(ii) The safe handling of animals; 

(iii) The safe handling of hazardous 

materials whose carriage is governed 
by regulations in 49 CFR part 175; 

(iv) The security of valuable or con-

fidential cargo; 

(v) The preservation of fragile or per-

ishable cargo; 

(vi) Experiments on, or testing of, 

cargo containers or cargo handling de-
vices; 

(vii) The operation of special equip-

ment for loading or unloading cargo; 
and 

(viii) The loading or unloading of 

outsize cargo. 

(5) A person described in paragraph 

(a)(4) of this section, when traveling to 
or from his assignment. 

(6) A person performing duty as an 

honor guard accompanying a shipment 
made by or under the authority of the 
United States. 

(7) A military courier, military route 

supervisor, military cargo contract co-
ordinator, or a flight crewmember of 
another military cargo contract air 
carrier or commercial operator, carried 
by a military cargo contract air carrier 
or commercial operator in operations 
under a military cargo contract, if that 
carriage is specifically authorized by 
the appropriate armed forces. 

(8) A dependent of an employee of the 

certificate holder when traveling with 
the employee on company business to 
or from outlying stations not served by 
adequate regular passenger flights. 

(b) No certificate holder may operate 

an airplane carrying a person covered 
by paragraph (a) of this section un-
less— 

(1) Each person has unobstructed ac-

cess from his seat to the pilot compart-
ment or to a regular or emergency exit; 

(2) The pilot in command has a 

means of notifying each person when 
smoking is prohibited and when safety 
belts must be fastened; and 

(3) The airplane has an approved seat 

with an approved safety belt for each 
person. The seat must be located so 
that the occupant is not in any posi-
tion to interfere with the flight crew-
members performing their duties. 

(c) Before each takeoff, each certifi-

cate holder operating an airplane car-
rying persons covered by paragraph (a) 
of this section shall ensure that all