6.1 General Operating Rules, Preflight Action & Required Documents

General Operating Rules, Preflight Action & Required Documents

14 CFR Part 91 lays down the general operating and flight rules for all civil aircraft in the United States. Whether operating a light-sport aircraft (aircraft), glider, or twin-engine turboprop, compliance with Part 91 is mandatory for safety and legal flight operations. This section covers pilot authority, reckless operations, drug and alcohol rules, required preflight actions, and essential aircraft paperwork.

Pilot in Command (PIC) Responsibility and Authority (14 CFR 91.3)

Under 14 CFR § 91.3(a), the Pilot in Command (PIC) is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of that aircraft. This regulation establishes that ultimate operational authority sits squarely in the cockpit with the PIC, regardless of passenger status or ground suggestions.

Emergency Authority and Deviation Rules

In an in-flight emergency requiring immediate action, 14 CFR § 91.3(b) grants the PIC extraordinary legal authority:

• Deviation Privilege: The PIC may deviate from any rule of 14 CFR Part 91 to the extent required to meet that emergency.
• Written Report Requirement: Under 14 CFR § 91.3(c), any PIC who deviates from a Part 91 rule during an emergency must, upon request of the FAA Administrator, send a written report of that deviation to the Administrator. (Note: You are not automatically required to submit a report unless the FAA requests it).

Careless or Reckless Operation (14 CFR 91.13)

Under 14 CFR § 91.13(a), no person may operate an aircraft in a careless or reckless manner so as to endanger the life or property of another. This fundamental rule applies to all phases of aircraft operation, including ground taxi, takeoff, cruise, and landing.

Examples of careless or reckless operation include:

• Performing low-altitude aerobatics or "buzzing" people, structures, or vessels.
• Taxiing at excessive speeds in crowded ramp areas without maintaining proper lookout.
• Flying into known severe weather or icing conditions without required aircraft equipment.
• Operating an aircraft with known uncorrected mechanical deficiencies that compromise airworthiness.

Alcohol and Drug Restrictions (14 CFR 91.17)

To ensure maximum aviation safety, 14 CFR § 91.17 enforces strict statutory limits concerning alcohol consumption, drug usage, and passenger transport.

The "8 Hours / 0.04% BAC" Rule

No person may act or attempt to act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft:

1. Time Restriction: Within 8 hours after the consumption of any alcoholic beverage ("8 hours bottle-to-throttle").
2. Influence Standard: While under the influence of alcohol.
3. Drug Impairment: While using any drug that affects the person's faculties in any way contrary to safety.
4. Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC): While having a BAC of 0.04 percent by weight or higher in the blood or breath.

Transporting Passengers and Mandatory Testing

• Intoxicated Passengers: Under 14 CFR § 91.17(b), no pilot may allow a person who appears to be intoxicated or under the influence of drugs to be carried in that aircraft, except in an emergency or if the person is a medical patient under proper care.
• Alcohol/Drug Testing: Under 14 CFR § 91.17(c), a crewmember must submit to a test to determine BAC or drug presence upon request by a law enforcement officer investigating a suspected violation. Refusal to submit is grounds for suspension or revocation of pilot certificates.

Preflight Action (14 CFR 91.103) & The NWKRAFT Mnemonic

Under 14 CFR § 91.103, each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight. For flights not in the vicinity of an airport (cross-country flights) and for all IFR flights, this preflight action must include specific mandatory elements.

Aviators use the memory acronym NWKRAFT to ensure complete compliance with 14 CFR § 91.103:

• N - NOTAMs (Notices to Air Missions): Check for temporary flight restrictions (TFRs), runway/taxiway closures, and NAVAID outages.
• W - Weather Reports and Forecasts: Review current METARs, TAFs, radar summary charts, convective SIGMETs, and AIRMETs.
• K - Known Traffic Delays: Review ground delay programs or ATC traffic flow management initiatives.
• R - Runway Lengths: Verify that available runway lengths at all intended airports of use meet aircraft requirements.
• A - Alternate Routes: Plan secondary routes and divert airports in case weather deteriorates or emergencies arise.
• F - Fuel Requirements: Calculate total fuel needed, including destination flight time plus mandatory VFR reserves.
• T - Takeoff and Landing Distance Data: Compute exact takeoff ground roll and landing distance using density altitude, gross weight, and wind data from the POH/AFM.

Mandatory Aircraft Documentation: The ARROW Acronym

Under federal aviation regulations (specifically 14 CFR § 91.203 and 14 CFR § 91.9), specific documents must be physically located aboard the aircraft during flight. Pilots memorize these required documents using the acronym ARROW:

1. Airworthiness Certificate (14 CFR 91.203(a)(1) & (b))

• Must be issued by the FAA and carried on board.
• Display Requirement: Must be displayed at the cabin or cockpit entrance so that it is legible to passengers and crew.
• Validity: Remains valid as long as the aircraft is maintained and inspected in accordance with FAR Part 43 and Part 91.

2. Registration Certificate (14 CFR 91.203(a)(2))

• Issued to the aircraft owner by the FAA Aircraft Registration Branch.
• Expiration: Re-registration is required every 7 years (per current 14 CFR Part 47 rules). Must be renewed prior to expiration to remain valid.

3. Radio Station License (FCC Requirement)

• Required only for international flights or when operating outside United States borders or communicating with foreign ground stations.
• Domestic Operations: Not required for domestic U.S. flights.

4. Operating Limitations (14 CFR 91.9)

• Mandatory FAA-approved documents including the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) / Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH), markings, and placards.
• Compliance: 14 CFR § 91.9(a) mandates that no person may operate a civil aircraft without complying with the operating limitations specified in the approved flight manual, markings, and placards.

5. Weight and Balance Data

• Official, current Weight and Balance (W&B) documentation specific to the individual aircraft tail number (N-number).
• Must include the equipment list and empty weight after any structural or avionics alterations.

NTSB Accident Reporting (49 CFR Part 830) — § 61.309(b)

Sport-pilot aeronautical knowledge explicitly includes National Transportation Safety Board accident reporting requirements.

Immediate Notification

The operator of an aircraft must immediately notify the NTSB when an aircraft accident occurs or when certain serious incidents occur (for example, flight-control system malfunction, inability of any required flight crewmember to perform duties due to illness/injury, in-flight fire, aircraft collision in flight, damage to property other than the aircraft estimated above the regulatory threshold, and other listed events in Part 830).

Accident vs Incident (exam definitions)

• Aircraft accident: an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft that takes place between the time any person boards with intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, in which any person suffers death or serious injury, or the aircraft receives substantial damage.
• Serious injury / substantial damage: defined terms in Part 830—know that “substantial damage” excludes engine failure/damage limited to the engine, bent fairings/cowlings, dented skin, ground damage to props/rotors, and similar listed exceptions.

Preservation of Wreckage

Until the NTSB arrives or authorizes movement, wreckage and relevant records should be preserved except as needed to protect life, salvage cargo, or protect wreckage from further damage.

Exam tip: Knowledge-test items often ask who you notify (NTSB, not FSDO alone) and whether a hard landing with only bent fairings is an “accident.”

AIM and FAA Advisory Circulars (§ 61.309(c))

Sport-pilot knowledge includes use of the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) and applicable FAA Advisory Circulars (ACs). The AIM explains how the NAS works in plain language—airport lighting and marking schemes, traffic patterns, wake turbulence, services, and radio procedures—while ACs provide non-regulatory guidance (for example, currency, weather, or equipment topics). When a regulation states what is required, the AIM often explains how pilots apply it in daily VFR flying. Prefer the current AIM electronic edition and the specific AC revision cited in your training materials.