Marked Inop

[brien23]

How long can a gauge like a EGT that is not required for flight be marked Inop? Does it have to be repaired removed or replaced at a 100hr or Annual or can it stay marked inop for ever.

 

[frtrkap]

Is it required per the TCDS? My Cherokee does not require one, so it could stay INOP.

 

[Bell206]

How long can a gauge like a EGT that is not required for flight be marked Inop?

Depends.

Does it have to be repaired removed or replaced at a 100hr or Annual or can it stay marked inop for ever.

Per 91.405 every inop item must be repaired, removed, replaced, or inspected at the next required inspection. However, there is nothing that prevents you at that next required inspection to simply inspect the EGT indicator and comply with the requirements of 91.213(d) until the following required inspection cycle. But that is not the intent of the regulation.

 

[Bell206]

Is it required per the TCDS? My Cherokee does not require one, so it could stay INOP.

FYI: the TCDS plays no part in determining the status of installed inoperative equipment or instruments. It's strictly an FAR issue as referenced above. Whether that equipment or instrument is required to be installed sure the TCDS is followed along with certain other OEM listings.

 

[Clip4]

How long can a gauge like a EGT that is not required for flight be marked Inop? Does it have to be repaired removed or replaced at a 100hr or Annual or can it stay marked inop for ever.

91.213 Inoperative instruments and equipment.
a) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, no person may take off an aircraft with inoperative instruments or equipment installed unless the following conditions are met:

(1) An approved Minimum Equipment List exists for that aircraft.

(2) The aircraft has within it a letter of authorization, issued by the responsible Flight Standards office, authorizing operation of the aircraft under the Minimum Equipment List. The letter of authorization may be obtained by written request of the airworthiness certificate holder. The Minimum Equipment List and the letter of authorization constitute a supplemental type certificate for the aircraft.




d) Except for operations conducted in accordance with paragraph (a) or (c) of this section, a person may takeoff an aircraft in operations conducted under this part with inoperative instruments and equipment without an approved Minimum Equipment List provided—

(1) The flight operation is conducted in a—

(i) Rotorcraft, non-turbine-powered airplane, glider, lighter-than-air aircraft, powered parachute, or weight-shift-control aircraft, for which a master minimum equipment list has not been developed; or

(ii) Small rotorcraft, nonturbine-powered small airplane, glider, or lighter-than-air aircraft for which a Master Minimum Equipment List has been developed; and

(2) The inoperative instruments and equipment are not—

(i) Part of the VFR-day type certification instruments and equipment prescribed in the applicable airworthiness regulations under which the aircraft was type certificated;

(ii) Indicated as required on the aircraft's equipment list, or on the Kinds of Operations Equipment List for the kind of flight operation being conducted;

(iii) Required by §91.205 or any other rule of this part for the specific kind of flight operation being conducted; or

(iv) Required to be operational by an airworthiness directive; and

(3) The inoperative instruments and equipment are—

(i) Removed from the aircraft, the cockpit control placarded, and the maintenance recorded in accordance with §43.9 of this chapter; or

(ii) Deactivated and placarded “Inoperative.” If deactivation of the inoperative instrument or equipment involves maintenance, it must be accomplished and recorded in accordance with part 43 of this chapter; and

(4) A determination is made by a pilot, who is certificated and appropriately rated under part 61 of this chapter, or by a person, who is certificated and appropriately rated to perform maintenance on the aircraft, that the inoperative instrument or equipment does not constitute a hazard to the aircraft.

An aircraft with inoperative instruments or equipment as provided in paragraph (d) of this section is considered to be in a properly altered condition acceptable to the Administrator.

 

[unsafervguy]

§
§91.405 Maintenance required.
Each owner or operator of an aircraft—

(a) Shall have that aircraft inspected as prescribed in subpart E of this part and shall between required inspections, except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, have discrepancies repaired as prescribed in part 43 of this chapter;

(b) Shall ensure that maintenance personnel make appropriate entries in the aircraft maintenance records indicating the aircraft has been approved for return to service;

(c) Shall have any inoperative instrument or item of equipment, permitted to be inoperative by §91.213(d)(2) of this part, repaired, replaced, removed, or inspected at the next required inspection; and

(d) When listed discrepancies include inoperative instruments or equipment, shall ensure that a placard has been installed as required by §43.11 of this chapter.
at the next required inspection; and

(d) When listed discrepancies include inoperative instruments or equipment, shall ensure that a placard has been installed as required by §43.11 of this chapter.

as bell said, you can keep pencil whipping this each inspection, but that’s not the intent of the reg. If you don’t want to fix it, have it removed and documented.

 

[martym]

Is it required per the TCDS? My Cherokee does not require one, so it could stay INOP.

An engine tachometer is not required per the TCDS. Does that mean don't need it?

 

[farmrjohn]

An engine tachometer is not required per the TCDS. Does that mean don't need it?

FAR 91.205.b.4
(b) Visual-flight rules (day). For VFR flight during the day, the following instruments and equipment are required:

(1) Airspeed indicator.

(2) Altimeter.

(3) Magnetic direction indicator.

(4) Tachometer for each engine.

 

[frtrkap]

An engine tachometer is not required per the TCDS. Does that mean don't need it?

I stand corrected.

 

[Sluggo63]

What about a fuel flow gauge? The left FF needle on the factory installed gauge occasionally sticks at takeoff FF. The "occasionally" is getting less and less occasional. I have digital FF read outs which have been and still look accurate, but they are not (as far as I can tell) authorized to be primary. I was planning on having this fixed at the annual because I can't find anything that says it has to be operative. Am I missing something?

 

[Bell206]

What about a fuel flow gauge?

FYI: the guidance I was taught to follow in determining whether an instrument or piece of equipment is required to be installed is listed below. If you can not get the item to fall under one of those categories it was not required to be there. Keep in mind wings, engines, wheels, are not listed either so its one of the few places the feds expect a little common sense. Except for a couple very unique situations this guidance has never let me down when documenting equipment removal. That said if you do have a piece of equipment or and instrument that does fall in one of those categories that you want to remove you still have an option to remove it under the major alteration or AMOC process.

Aircraft Specification or TCDS;
STC or major alteration documentation;
and the following from 91.213(d)(2)
(i) Part of the VFR-day type certification instruments and equipment prescribed in the applicable airworthiness regulations under which the aircraft was type certificated;
(ii) Indicated as required on the aircraft's equipment list, or on the Kinds of Operations Equipment List for the kind of flight operation being conducted;
(iii) Required by of this §91.205 or any other rule of this part for the specific kind of flight operation being conducted; or
(iv) Required to be operational by an airworthiness directive;

 

[Todd82]

When I had an illness awhile back I printed an INOP sticker, put it on my forehead, and took a "selfie" to send to the other crews at work as my way of calling off.