467 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 135.179 

(i) 

Floor level exits. 

Each floor level 

door or exit in the side of the fuselage 
(other than those leading into a cargo 
or baggage compartment that is not 
accessible from the passenger cabin) 
that is 44 or more inches high and 20 or 
more inches wide, but not wider than 
46 inches, each passenger ventral exit 
(except the ventral exits on Martin 404 
and Convair 240 airplanes), and each 
tail cone exit, must meet the require-
ments of this section for floor level 
emergency exits. However, the Admin-
istrator may grant a deviation from 
this paragraph if he finds that cir-
cumstances make full compliance im-
practical and that an acceptable level 
of safety has been achieved. 

(j) 

Additional emergency exits. 

Ap-

proved emergency exits in the pas-
senger compartments that are in ex-
cess of the minimum number of re-
quired emergency exits must meet all 
of the applicable provisions of this sec-
tion, except paragraphs (f) (1), (2), and 
(3) of this section, and must be readily 
accessible. 

(k) On each large passenger-carrying 

turbojet-powered airplane, each ven-
tral exit and tailcone exit must be— 

(1) Designed and constructed so that 

it cannot be opened during flight; and 

(2) Marked with a placard readable 

from a distance of 30 inches and in-
stalled at a conspicuous location near 
the means of opening the exit, stating 
that the exit has been designed and 
constructed so that it cannot be opened 
during flight. 

(l) 

Portable lights. 

No person may op-

erate a passenger-carrying airplane un-
less it is equipped with flashlight stow-
age provisions accessible from each 
flight attendant seat. 

[Doc. No. 26530, 57 FR 19245, May 4, 1992; 57 
FR 29120, June 30, 1992, as amended at 57 FR 
34682, Aug. 6, 1992] 

§ 135.179 Inoperable instruments and 

equipment. 

(a) No person may take off an air-

craft with inoperable instruments or 
equipment installed unless the fol-
lowing conditions are met: 

(1) An approved Minimum Equipment 

List exists for that aircraft. 

(2) The responsible Flight Standards 

office has issued the certificate holder 
operations specifications authorizing 

operations in accordance with an ap-
proved Minimum Equipment List. The 
flight crew shall have direct access at 
all times prior to flight to all of the in-
formation contained in the approved 
Minimum Equipment List through 
printed or other means approved by the 
Administrator in the certificate hold-
ers operations specifications. An ap-
proved Minimum Equipment List, as 
authorized by the operations specifica-
tions, constitutes an approved change 
to the type design without requiring 
recertification. 

(3) The approved Minimum Equip-

ment List must: 

(i) Be prepared in accordance with 

the limitations specified in paragraph 
(b) of this section. 

(ii) Provide for the operation of the 

aircraft with certain instruments and 
equipment in an inoperable condition. 

(4) Records identifying the inoperable 

instruments and equipment and the in-
formation required by (a)(3)(ii) of this 
section must be available to the pilot. 

(5) The aircraft is operated under all 

applicable conditions and limitations 
contained in the Minimum Equipment 
List and the operations specifications 
authorizing use of the Minimum Equip-
ment 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 re-
quired by the airworthiness require-
ments under which the airplane is type 
certificated and which are essential for 
safe operations under all operating 
conditions. 

(2) Instruments and equipment re-

quired by an airworthiness directive to 
be in operable condition unless the air-
worthiness directive provides other-
wise. 

(3) Instruments and equipment re-

quired for specific operations by this 
part. 

(c) Notwithstanding paragraphs (b)(1) 

and (b)(3) of this section, an aircraft 
with inoperable instruments or equip-
ment may be operated under a special 

468 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 135.180 

flight permit under §§ 21.197 and 21.199 
of this chapter. 

[Doc. No. 25780, 56 FR 12311, Mar. 22, 1991; 56 
FR 14920, Apr. 8, 1991, as amended by Amdt. 
135–60, 61 FR 2616, Jan. 26, 1996; Amdt. 135–91, 
68 FR 54586, Sept. 17, 2003; Docket FAA–2018– 
0119, Amdt. 135–139, 83 FR 9175, Mar. 5, 2018] 

§ 135.180 Traffic Alert and Collision 

Avoidance System. 

(a) Unless otherwise authorized by 

the Administrator, after December 31, 
1995, no person may operate a turbine 
powered airplane that has a passenger 
seat configuration, excluding any pilot 
seat, of 10 to 30 seats unless it is 
equipped with an approved traffic alert 
and collision avoidance system. If a 
TCAS II system is installed, it must be 
capable of coordinating with TCAS 
units that meet TSO C–119. 

(b) The airplane flight manual re-

quired by § 135.21 of this part shall con-
tain the following information on the 
TCAS I system required by this sec-
tion: 

(1) Appropriate procedures for— 
(i) The use of the equipment; and 
(ii) Proper flightcrew action with re-

spect to the equipment operation. 

(2) An outline of all input sources 

that must be operating for the TCAS to 
function properly. 

[Doc. No. 25355, 54 FR 951, Jan. 10, 1989, as 
amended by Amdt. 135–54, 59 FR 67587, Dec. 
29, 1994] 

§ 135.181 Performance requirements: 

Aircraft operated over-the-top or in 

IFR conditions. 

(a) Except as provided in paragraphs 

(b) and (c) of this section, no person 
may— 

(1) Operate a single-engine aircraft 

carrying passengers over-the-top; or 

(2) Operate a multiengine aircraft 

carrying passengers over-the-top or in 
IFR conditions at a weight that will 
not allow it to climb, with the critical 
engine inoperative, at least 50 feet a 
minute when operating at the MEAs of 
the route to be flown or 5,000 feet MSL, 
whichever is higher. 

(b) Notwithstanding the restrictions 

in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, mul-
tiengine helicopters carrying pas-
sengers offshore may conduct such op-
erations in over-the-top or in IFR con-
ditions at a weight that will allow the 

helicopter to climb at least 50 feet per 
minute with the critical engine inoper-
ative when operating at the MEA of 
the route to be flown or 1,500 feet MSL, 
whichever is higher. 

(c) Without regard to paragraph (a) of 

this section, if the latest weather re-
ports or forecasts, or any combination 
of them, indicate that the weather 
along the planned route (including 
takeoff and landing) allows flight 
under VFR under the ceiling (if a ceil-
ing exists) and that the weather is fore-
cast to remain so until at least 1 hour 
after the estimated time of arrival at 
the destination, a person may operate 
an aircraft over-the-top. 

(d) Without regard to paragraph (a) 

of this section, a person may operate 
an aircraft over-the-top under condi-
tions allowing— 

(1) For multiengine aircraft, descent 

or continuance of the flight under VFR 
if its critical engine fails; or 

(2) For single-engine aircraft, descent 

under VFR if its engine fails. 

[Doc. No. 16097, 43 FR 46783, Oct. 10, 1978, as 
amended by Amdt. 135–20, 51 FR 40710, Nov. 7, 
1986; Amdt. 135–70, 62 FR 42374, Aug. 6, 1997] 

§ 135.183 Performance requirements: 

Land aircraft operated over water. 

No person may operate a land air-

craft carrying passengers over water 
unless— 

(a) It is operated at an altitude that 

allows it to reach land in the case of 
engine failure; 

(b) It is necessary for takeoff or land-

ing; 

(c) It is a multiengine aircraft oper-

ated at a weight that will allow it to 
climb, with the critical engine inoper-
ative, at least 50 feet a minute, at an 
altitude of 1,000 feet above the surface; 
or 

(d) It is a helicopter equipped with 

helicopter flotation devices. 

§ 135.185 Empty weight and center of 

gravity: Currency requirement. 

(a) No person may operate a multien-

gine aircraft unless the current empty 
weight and center of gravity are cal-
culated from values established by ac-
tual weighing of the aircraft within the 
preceding 36 calendar months. 

(b) Paragraph (a) of this section does 

not apply to—