240 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 121.647 

paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section), the 
certificate holder must ensure that the 
airplane carries the greater of the fol-
lowing amounts of fuel in anticipation 
of possible icing during the diversion: 

(A) Fuel that would be burned as a 

result of airframe icing during 10 per-
cent of the time icing is forecast (in-
cluding the fuel used by engine and 
wing anti-ice during this period). 

(B) Fuel that would be used for en-

gine anti-ice, and if appropriate wing 
anti-ice, for the entire time during 
which icing is forecast. 

(iv) Fuel to account for engine dete-

rioration. In calculating the amount of 
fuel required by paragraph (b)(1)(i) of 
this section (after completing the wind 
calculation in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of 
this section), the airplane also carries 
fuel equal to 5% of the fuel specified 
above, to account for deterioration in 
cruise fuel burn performance unless the 
certificate holder has a program to 
monitor airplane in-service deteriora-
tion to cruise fuel burn performance. 

(2) Fuel to account for holding, ap-

proach, and landing. In addition to the 
fuel required by paragraph (b)(1) of this 
section, the airplane must carry fuel 
sufficient to hold at 1500 feet above 
field elevation for 15 minutes upon 
reaching an ETOPS Alternate Airport 
and then conduct an instrument ap-
proach and land. 

(3) Fuel to account for APU use. If an 

APU is a required power source, the 
certificate holder must account for its 
fuel consumption during the appro-
priate phases of flight. 

[Doc. No. FAA–2002–6717, 72 FR 1882, Jan. 16, 
2007, as amended by Amdt. 121–348, 75 FR 
12121, Mar. 15, 2010] 

§ 121.647 Factors for computing fuel 

required. 

Each person computing fuel required 

for the purposes of this subpart shall 
consider the following: 

(a) Wind and other weather condi-

tions forecast. 

(b) Anticipated traffic delays. 
(c) One instrument approach and pos-

sible missed approach at destination. 

(d) Any other conditions that may 

delay landing of the aircraft. 

For the purposes of this section, re-
quired fuel is in addition to unusable 
fuel. 

§ 121.649 Takeoff and landing weather 

minimums: VFR: Domestic oper-

ations. 

(a) Except as provided in paragraph 

(b) of this section, regardless of any 
clearance from ATC, no pilot may 
takeoff or land an airplane under VFR 
when the reported ceiling or visibility 
is less than the following: 

(1) For day operations—1,000-foot 

ceiling and one-mile visibility. 

(2) For night operations—1,000-foot 

ceiling and two-mile visibility. 

(b) Where a local surface restriction 

to visibility exists (e.g., smoke, dust, 
blowing snow or sand) the visibility for 
day and night operations may be re-
duced to 

1

⁄

2

mile, if all turns after take-

off and prior to landing, and all flight 
beyond one mile from the airport 
boundary can be accomplished above or 
outside the area of local surface visi-
bility restriction. 

(c) The weather minimums in this 

section do not apply to the VFR oper-
ation of fixed-wing aircraft at any of 
the locations where the special weather 
minimums of § 91.157 of this chapter are 
not applicable (See part 91, appendix D, 
section 3 of this chapter). The basic 
VFR weather minimums of § 91.155 of 
this chapter apply at those locations. 

[Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19222, Dec. 31, 1964, as 
amended by Amdt. 121–39, 33 FR 4097, Mar. 2, 
1968; Amdt. 121–206, 54 FR 34331, Aug. 18, 1989; 
Amdt. 121–226, 56 FR 65663, Dec. 17, 1991] 

§ 121.651 Takeoff and landing weather 

minimums: IFR: All certificate hold-

ers. 

(a) Notwithstanding any clearance 

from ATC, no pilot may begin a takeoff 
in an airplane under IFR when the 
weather conditions reported by the 
U.S. National Weather Service, a 
source approved by that Service, or a 
source approved by the Administrator, 
are less than those specified in— 

(1) The certificate holder’s operations 

specifications; or 

(2) Parts 91 and 97 of this chapter, if 

the certificate holder’s operations 
specifications do not specify takeoff 
minimums for the airport. 

(b) Except as provided in paragraphs 

(d) and (e) of this section, no pilot may 
continue an approach past the final ap-
proach fix, or where a final approach 
fix is not used, begin the final approach