Plane Sense – General Aviation InformationFAA-H-8083-19A
Chapter 01
Aircraft Owner Responsibilities
20 pagesPages 1-1–1-20
Aircraft ownership is a serious undertaking, and you should be familiar with the obligations and responsibilities of aircraft ownership before you make the decision to purchase an aircraft. Aircraft owners have a variety of responsibilities that have their foundation in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
Documentation
Do you know your ARROW? Before you fly, you need to ensure that you have all of the required documentation on your aircraft. You are responsible for carrying the following documentation on your aircraft at all times:
A—Airworthiness Certificate
R—Registration Certificate
R— Radio Station License (Federal Communications Communication (FCC) Radio Station License, if required by the type of operation)
O— Operating Limitations (which may be in the form of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-approved Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) and/or Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH))
W—Weight and Balance Documents Some of these documents are addressed in this chapter, and others are covered in later chapters. Figure 1-1 at the end if this chapter is an ARROW checklist you can use to ensure you have all of the required documents. You can expect an FAA aviation safety inspector (ASI) to ask for these documents any time he or she is inspecting your aircraft and/or assisting you with a question regarding your aircraft.
CAUTION: A radio station license is required for any international operations. You must complete an FCC Form 605, Quick-Form Application for Authorization in the Ship, Aircraft, Amateur, Restricted and Commercial Operator, and General Mobile Radio Services, available at www.fcc.gov to obtain an FCC radio station license.
Aircraft Registration
The FAA Civil Aviation Registry Aircraft Registration Branch (AFS-750) maintains registration records on individual aircraft and serves as a repository for airworthiness documents received from FAA field offices. As an aircraft owner, you are responsible for immediately notifying AFS-750 of any change of permanent mailing address, the sale or export of your aircraft, or the loss of your ability to register an aircraft in accordance with Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 47, section 47.41.
Figure 1-2 at the end of this chapter is a sample FAA Change of Address Notification you can use to inform AFS-750. Aircraft registration is addressed in more detail in chapter 4.
14 CFR
14 CFR includes rules prescribed by the FAA governing all aviation activities in the United States. A wide variety of activities are regulated, such as airplane design, typical airline flights, pilot training activities, hot-air ballooning, and even model rocket launches. The rules are designed to promote safe aviation while protecting pilots, passengers, and the general public from unnecessary risk.
As an aircraft owner, you are responsible for compliance and familiarity with the applicable 14 CFR part(s) concerning the operation and maintenance of your aircraft. While the regulations cited below are not exhaustive, they are a starting point as you consider aircraft ownership. It is essential that you remember that you are responsible for complying with all 14 CFR parts applicable to your aircraft and aircraft operations.
As an aircraft owner, you should be familiar with the provisions of 14 CFR Part 43, Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, Rebuilding, and Alteration, and 14 CFR Part 91, General Operating and Flight Rules.
If you are also a pilot, you should be familiar with the provisions of 14 CFR Part 61, Certification: Pilots, Flight Instructors, and Ground Instructors, and 14 CFR Part 67, Medical Standards and Certification.
Questions regarding 14 CFR can be addressed to your local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO). Information about obtaining copies of 14 CFR parts and FAA publications can be found in chapter 11.
Logbooks
Each aircraft has a unique set of logbooks that document historical data dating back to the manufacturing date of the aircraft. As an aircraft owner, you have a regulatory obligation to ensure that your logbooks are complete and kept up to date. Aircraft logbooks enable the aircraft owner to keep records of the entire aircraft in chronological order including: inspections, tests, repairs, alterations, Airworthiness Directive (AD) compliance, service bulletins, and equipment additions, removals, or exchanges. Most logbooks also include sections for major alterations and altimeter/static system checks. Anyone performing maintenance on your aircraft will need complete aircraft logbooks to review the aircraft’s compliance history before performing maintenance on your aircraft. Information about aircraft maintenance and aircraft maintenance records can be found in chapters 7 and 8, respectively.
Aircraft Insurance
Aircraft insurance is an important consideration for any aircraft owner. The type(s) and amount of insurance you should carry on your aircraft are influenced by several factors, and you should discuss these decisions with an insurance agent familiar with providing aviation insurance policies. Depending on the usage of your aircraft and who might be flying the aircraft, you may need Owners, Renters and/or Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) insurance policies for your aircraft. Responsible aircraft owners always carry sufficient insurance on their aircraft.
CAUTION: You should ensure that you are in compliance with any state insurance requirements relating to aircraft ownership.
Reporting Aircraft Accidents/Incidents
Aircraft owners are responsible for complying with Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR) part 830 regarding the reporting of aircraft accidents and incidents. You are required to notify the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) immediately of aviation accidents and certain incidents.
Accident
An accident is defined in 49 CFR part 830 as “an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft that takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, and in which any person suffers death or serious injury, or in which the aircraft receives substantial damage.”
Incident
An incident is defined in 49 CFR part 830 as “an occurrence other than an accident that affects or could affect the safety of operations.”
Contacting the NTSB
Contact the nearest NTSB regional office to file a report. Reports of accidents or incidents should be made to the NTSB regional office associated with the state in which the accident or incident occurred. NTSB regions are organized as follows:
Eastern (Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, West Virginia);
Central (Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin);
Western (American Samoa, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming); and
Alaska (Alaska).
Contact information for the NTSB regional offices is located at the end of this chapter in Figure 1-3 and on the NTSB website at www.ntsb.gov. Your local FSDO can also direct you to the correct NTSB regional office in the event of an aircraft accident or incident. For the purpose of notifying the NTSB, a phone call is sufficient initially, but a written followup is required. You will probably be directed to complete NTSB Form 6120.1, Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report, which is available on the NTSB website at www.ntsb.gov, from the nearest NTSB regional office, or from your local FSDO.
Filing NTSB Form 6120.1
In accordance with 49 CFR part 830, section 830.5, you must file a report with the NTSB regional office nearest the accident or incident within 10 days after an accident for which notification is required. Complete Form 6120.1, sign it, and send it by mail or fax to the applicable NTSB regional office. Figure 1-4 at the end of this chapter is a sample NTSB Form 6120.1.
Aviation Safety Reporting System
The Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) is an important facet of the continuing effort by government, industry, and individuals to maintain and improve aviation safety. The ASRS, which is administered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), collects voluntarily submitted aviation safety incident/situation reports from pilots, controllers, and others.
The ASRS acts on the information these reports contain. It identifies system deficiencies and issues alerting messages to persons in a position to correct them. The database is a public repository which serves the needs of FAA and NASA and those of other organizations worldwide engaged in research and the promotion of safe flight.
Purpose
The ASRS collects, analyzes, and responds to voluntarily submitted aviation safety incident reports in order to lessen the likelihood of aviation accidents. ASRS data is used to:
Identify deficiencies and discrepancies in the National Airspace (NAS) so that these can be remedied by appropriate authorities.
Support policy formulation and planning for, and improvements to, the NAS.
Strengthen the foundation of aviation human factors safety research. This is particularly important since it is generally conceded that over two-thirds of all aviation accidents and incidents are caused by human performance errors.
Confidentiality
Pilots, air traffic controllers, flight attendants, mechanics, ground personnel, and others involved in aviation operations submit reports to the ASRS when they are involved in, or observe, an incident or situation in which aviation safety was compromised. All submissions are voluntary.
Reports sent to the ASRS are held in strict confidence. ASRS de-identifies reports before entering them into the incident database. All personal and organizational names are removed. Dates, times, and related information that can be used to infer an identity are either generalized or eliminated.
Filing an Incident Report
An ASRS Incident Report is often referred to as a “NASA Strip.” When submitting an ASRS Incident Report, or NASA Strip, the submitter completes the form and sends it to the address indicated, and NASA returns the identification strip to the submitter as confirmation of receipt of the form. You can obtain more information, a copy of the incident report form, or file the form electronically on the NASA website at http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov. Figure 1-5 at the end of this chapter is a sample ASRS Incident Report.
Safety
The FAA has a number of aviation safety resources available on its website at www.faa.gov. You can access safety information by selecting “Safety” from the main menu bar.
Safety Hotline
You can call the FAA 24-Hour Safety Hotline at (800) 255-1111 or email the FAA Safety Hotline at 9-AWA-ASY-SAFETYHOTLINE@faa.gov to report:
Maintenance improprieties
Aircraft incidents
Suspected unapproved parts
Violations of 14 CFR
You can provide your contact information or file an anonymous report with the FAA Safety Hotline.
Safety Information
You can also find additional information and aviation data and statistics on the FAA website at www.faa.gov including:
Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs)
Aircraft Safety Alerts
Safety Program Airmen Notification System
Information for operators
Safety alerts for operators
CertAlerts for certificated airports
Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) Safety
Bulletin
Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS)
Accident and incident data
Aviation accident reports and statistics
Runway incursion data and statistics
Weather
Reporting Stolen Aircraft/Equipment
As an aircraft owner, you should be prepared to handle the theft of your aircraft or aircraft equipment. In order to manage the reporting process effectively, you should keep separate records (in a location away from the aircraft) of serial numbers for powerplants, avionics, and other installed items. Report these serial numbers at the same time the aircraft is stolen.
Law Enforcement
You should immediately report a stolen aircraft to the local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction at the site of the theft. Ask the agency to report the theft to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Crime Information Center, as this will initiate notifications to the appropriate government offices.
Insurance Company
After filing the appropriate reports with your local law enforcement agency, notify your insurance company or agent of the stolen aircraft, as appropriate.
Aviation Crime Prevention Institute
You should also notify the Aviation Crime Prevention Institute (ACPI) of the stolen aircraft. After you give ACPI all available information, ACPI will send notices of the theft to industry contacts, embassies, and other agencies, if applicable. You can contact the ACPI at:
- Aviation Crime Prevention Institute
- 226 N. Nova Road
- Ormond Beach, FL 32174 USA
- (800) 969-5473 toll-free
(386) 341-7270 outside U.S.
(386) 615-3378 fax http://www.acpi.org
Aircraft Registration Branch
If enough time has passed that the return of the aircraft is no longer expected, the owner should write to AFS-750 requesting that the registration for this aircraft be canceled. The request should fully describe the aircraft, indicate the reason for cancellation, be signed in ink by the owner, and show a title for the signer, if appropriate.
ARROW Checklist
Figure 1-1. ARROW Checklist. You can use this checklist to ensure that you are carrying the appropriate documentation onboard your aircraft at all times.
| STATUS | ITEM | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
| | A—Airworthiness certificate | FAA Form 8100-2, Standard Airworthiness Certificate, or FAA Form 8130-7, Special Airworthiness Certificate (as applicable) |
| | R—Registration certificate | FAA Form 8050-3, Certificate of Registration |
| | R—Radio station license | FCC Form 605, Quick-Form Application for Authorization in the Ship, Aircraft, Restricted and Commercial Operator, and General Mobile Radio Services, available on FCC website at www.fcc.gov (if required by the type of operation) |
| | O—Operating limitations | FAA-approved Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) and/or Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH), and/or limitations attached to FAA Form 8130-7 |
| | W—Weight and balance | Documentation provided by aircraft manufacturer, maintenance and modification records |
Figure 1-2. FAA Change of Address Notification (Aircraft Owner). You can obtain instructions for completing an FAA Change of Address Notification on the FAA website at www.faa.gov or from your local FSDO.
Figure 1-3. NTSB Regional Offices. The updated list of NTSB Regional Offices, including office hours, is available on the NTSB website at www.ntsb.gov.
Figure 1-3. NTSB Regional Offices (continued).
Figure 1-4. NTSB Form 6120.1, Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report. You can obtain instructions
for completing NTSB Form 6120.1 on the NTSB website at www.ntsb.gov or from your local FSDO.
Figure 1-4. NTSB Form 6120.1 (page 2 of 9).
Figure 1-4. NTSB Form 6120.1 (page 3 of 9).
Figure 1-4. NTSB Form 6120.1 (page 4 of 9).
Figure 1-4. NTSB Form 6120.1 (page 5 of 9).
Figure 1-4. NTSB Form 6120.1 (page 6 of 9).
Figure 1-4. NTSB Form 6120.1 (page 7 of 9).
Figure 1-4. NTSB Form 6120.1 (page 8 of 9).
Figure 1-4. NTSB Form 6120.1 (page 9 of 9).
Figure 1-5. ASRS Incident Report. You can obtain an ASRS Incident Report and/or file the form online at the NASA website at http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/.
Figure 1-5. ASRS Incident Report (page 2 of 2).