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749 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 91.519 

§ 91.515

Flight altitude rules. 

(a) Notwithstanding § 91.119, and ex-

cept as provided in paragraph (b) of 
this section, no person may operate an 
airplane under VFR at less than— 

(1) One thousand feet above the sur-

face, or 1,000 feet from any mountain, 
hill, or other obstruction to flight, for 
day operations; and 

(2) The altitudes prescribed in § 91.177, 

for night operations. 

(b) This section does not apply— 
(1) During takeoff or landing; 
(2) When a different altitude is au-

thorized by a waiver to this section 
under subpart J of this part; or 

(3) When a flight is conducted under 

the special VFR weather minimums of 
§ 91.157 with an appropriate clearance 
from ATC. 

§ 91.517

Passenger information. 

(a) Except as provided in paragraph 

(b) of this section, no person may oper-
ate an airplane carrying passengers un-
less it is equipped with signs that are 
visible to passengers and flight attend-
ants to notify them when smoking is 
prohibited and when safety belts must 
be fastened. The signs must be so con-
structed that the crew can turn them 
on and off. They must be turned on 
during airplane movement on the sur-
face, for each takeoff, for each landing, 
and when otherwise considered to be 
necessary by the pilot in command. 

(b) The pilot in command of an air-

plane that is not required, in accord-
ance with applicable aircraft and 
equipment requirements of this chap-
ter, to be equipped as provided in para-
graph (a) of this section shall ensure 
that the passengers are notified orally 
each time that it is necessary to fasten 
their safety belts and when smoking is 
prohibited. 

(c) If passenger information signs are 

installed, no passenger or crewmember 
may smoke while any ‘‘no smoking’’ 
sign is lighted nor may any passenger 
or crewmember smoke in any lavatory. 

(d) Each passenger required by 

§ 91.107(a)(3) to occupy a seat or berth 
shall fasten his or her safety belt about 
him or her and keep it fastened while 
any ‘‘fasten seat belt’’ sign is lighted. 

(e) Each passenger shall comply with 

instructions given him or her by crew-
members regarding compliance with 

paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) of this sec-
tion. 

[Doc. No. 26142, 57 FR 42672, Sept. 15, 1992] 

§ 91.519

Passenger briefing. 

(a) Before each takeoff the pilot in 

command of an airplane carrying pas-
sengers shall ensure that all passengers 
have been orally briefed on— 

(1) 

Smoking.  Each passenger shall be 

briefed on when, where, and under what 
conditions smoking is prohibited. This 
briefing shall include a statement, as 
appropriate, that the Federal Aviation 
Regulations require passenger compli-
ance with lighted passenger informa-
tion signs and no smoking placards, 
prohibit smoking in lavatories, and re-
quire compliance with crewmember in-
structions with regard to these items; 

(2) 

Use of safety belts and shoulder har-

nesses.  Each passenger shall be briefed 
on when, where, and under what condi-
tions it is necessary to have his or her 
safety belt and, if installed, his or her 
shoulder harness fastened about him or 
her. This briefing shall include a state-
ment, as appropriate, that Federal 
Aviation Regulations require passenger 
compliance with the lighted passenger 
sign and/or crewmember instructions 
with regard to these items; 

(3) Location and means for opening 

the passenger entry door and emer-
gency exits; 

(4) Location of survival equipment; 
(5) Ditching procedures and the use of 

flotation equipment required under 
§ 91.509 for a flight over water; and 

(6) The normal and emergency use of 

oxygen equipment installed on the air-
plane. 

(b) The oral briefing required by 

paragraph (a) of this section shall be 
given by the pilot in command or a 
member of the crew, but need not be 
given when the pilot in command de-
termines that the passengers are famil-
iar with the contents of the briefing. It 
may be supplemented by printed cards 
for the use of each passenger con-
taining— 

(1) A diagram of, and methods of op-

erating, the emergency exits; and 

(2) Other instructions necessary for 

use of emergency equipment. 

(c) Each card used under paragraph 

(b) must be carried in convenient loca-
tions on the airplane for the use of 

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750 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 91.521 

each passenger and must contain infor-
mation that is pertinent only to the 
type and model airplane on which it is 
used. 

(d) For operations under subpart K of 

this part, the passenger briefing re-
quirements of § 91.1035 apply, instead of 
the requirements of paragraphs (a) 
through (c) of this section. 

[Doc. No. 18334, 54 FR 34314, Aug. 18, 1989, as 
amended by Amdt. 91–231, 57 FR 42672, Sept. 
15, 1992; Amdt. 91–280, 68 FR 54561, Sept. 17, 
2003] 

§ 91.521

Shoulder harness. 

(a) No person may operate a trans-

port category airplane that was type 
certificated after January 1, 1958, un-
less it is equipped at each seat at a 
flight deck station with a combined 
safety belt and shoulder harness that 
meets the applicable requirements 
specified in § 25.785 of this chapter, ex-
cept that— 

(1) Shoulder harnesses and combined 

safety belt and shoulder harnesses that 
were approved and installed before 
March 6, 1980, may continue to be used; 
and 

(2) Safety belt and shoulder harness 

restraint systems may be designed to 
the inertia load factors established 
under the certification basis of the air-
plane. 

(b) No person may operate a trans-

port category airplane unless it is 
equipped at each required flight at-
tendant seat in the passenger compart-
ment with a combined safety belt and 
shoulder harness that meets the appli-
cable requirements specified in § 25.785 
of this chapter, except that— 

(1) Shoulder harnesses and combined 

safety belt and shoulder harnesses that 
were approved and installed before 
March 6, 1980, may continue to be used; 
and 

(2) Safety belt and shoulder harness 

restraint systems may be designed to 
the inertia load factors established 
under the certification basis of the air-
plane. 

§ 91.523

Carry-on baggage. 

No pilot in command of an airplane 

having a seating capacity of more than 
19 passengers may permit a passenger 
to stow baggage aboard that airplane 
except— 

(a) In a suitable baggage or cargo 

storage compartment, or as provided in 
§ 91.525; or 

(b) Under a passenger seat in such a 

way that it will not slide forward under 
crash impacts severe enough to induce 
the ultimate inertia forces specified in 
§ 25.561(b)(3) of this chapter, or the re-
quirements of the regulations under 
which the airplane was type certifi-
cated. Restraining devices must also 
limit sideward motion of under-seat 
baggage and be designed to withstand 
crash impacts severe enough to induce 
sideward forces specified in § 25.561(b)(3) 
of this chapter. 

§ 91.525

Carriage of cargo. 

(a) No pilot in command may permit 

cargo to be carried in any airplane un-
less— 

(1) It is carried in an approved cargo 

rack, bin, or compartment installed in 
the airplane; 

(2) It is secured by means approved 

by the Administrator; or 

(3) It is carried in accordance with 

each of the following: 

(i) It is properly secured by a safety 

belt or other tiedown having enough 
strength to eliminate the possibility of 
shifting under all normally anticipated 
flight and ground conditions. 

(ii) It is packaged or covered to avoid 

possible injury to passengers. 

(iii) It does not impose any load on 

seats or on the floor structure that ex-
ceeds the load limitation for those 
components. 

(iv) It is not located in a position 

that restricts the access to or use of 
any required emergency or regular 
exit, or the use of the aisle between the 
crew and the passenger compartment. 

(v) It is not carried directly above 

seated passengers. 

(b) When cargo is carried in cargo 

compartments that are designed to re-
quire the physical entry of a crew-
member to extinguish any fire that 
may occur during flight, the cargo 
must be loaded so as to allow a crew-
member to effectively reach all parts 
of the compartment with the contents 
of a hand fire extinguisher. 

§ 91.527

Operating in icing conditions. 

(a) No pilot may take off an airplane 

that has frost, ice, or snow adhering to 

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