740 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–19 Edition) 

§ 91.177 

(x) A person conducting an EFVS op-

eration during an authorized Category 
II or Category III operation must con-
duct the operation in accordance with 
operations specifications, management 
specifications, or a letter of authoriza-
tion authorizing EFVS operations dur-
ing authorized Category II or Category 
III operations. 

(3) 

Visibility and Visual Reference Re-

quirements. 

No pilot operating under 

this section or § 121.651, § 125.381, or 
§ 135.225 of this chapter may continue 
an approach below the authorized MDA 
or continue an approach below the au-
thorized DA/DH and land unless: 

(i) The pilot determines that the en-

hanced flight visibility observed by use 
of an EFVS is not less than the visi-
bility prescribed in the instrument ap-
proach procedure being used. 

(ii) From the authorized MDA or DA/ 

DH to 100 feet above the touchdown 
zone elevation of the runway of in-
tended landing, any approach light sys-
tem or both the runway threshold and 
the touchdown zone are distinctly visi-
ble and identifiable to the pilot using 
an EFVS. 

(A) The pilot must identify the run-

way threshold using at least one of the 
following visual references– 

(

1

) The beginning of the runway land-

ing surface; 

(

2

) The threshold lights; or 

(

3

) The runway end identifier lights. 

(B) The pilot must identify the 

touchdown zone using at least one of 
the following visual references— 

(

1

) The runway touchdown zone land-

ing surface; 

(

2

) The touchdown zone lights; 

(

3

) The touchdown zone markings; or 

(

4

) The runway lights. 

(iii) At 100 feet above the touchdown 

zone elevation of the runway of in-
tended landing and below that altitude, 
the flight visibility must be sufficient 
for one of the following visual ref-
erences to be distinctly visible and 
identifiable to the pilot without reli-
ance on the EFVS— 

(A) The runway threshold; 
(B) The lights or markings of the 

threshold; 

(C) The runway touchdown zone land-

ing surface; or 

(D) The lights or markings of the 

touchdown zone. 

(4) Compliance Date. Beginning on 

March 13, 2018, a person conducting an 
EFVS operation to 100 feet above the 
touchdown zone elevation must comply 
with the requirements of paragraph (b) 
of this section. 

(c) 

Public aircraft certification and 

training requirements. 

A public aircraft 

operator, other than the U.S. military, 
may conduct an EFVS operation under 
paragraph (a) or (b) of this section only 
if: 

(1) The aircraft meets all of the civil 

certification and airworthiness re-
quirements of paragraph (a)(1) or (b)(1) 
of this section, as applicable to the 
EFVS operation to be conducted; and 

(2) The pilot flightcrew member, or 

any other person who manipulates the 
controls of an aircraft during an EFVS 
operation, meets the training, recent 
flight experience and refresher training 
requirements of § 61.66 of this chapter 
applicable to EFVS operations. 

(d) 

Exception for Experimental Aircraft. 

The requirement to use an EFVS that 
meets the applicable airworthiness re-
quirements specified in paragraphs 
(a)(1)(i), (a)(2)(iii), (b)(1)(i), and 
(b)(2)(iii) of this section does not apply 
to operations conducted in an aircraft 
issued an experimental certificate 
under § 21.191 of this chapter for the 
purpose of research and development or 
showing compliance with regulations, 
provided the Administrator has deter-
mined that the operations can be con-
ducted safely in accordance with oper-
ating limitations issued for that pur-
pose. 

[Docket FAA–2013–0485, Amdt. 91–345, 81 FR 
90172, Dec. 13, 2016; 82 FR 2193, Jan. 9, 2017] 

§ 91.177

Minimum altitudes for IFR op-

erations. 

(a) 

Operation of aircraft at minimum al-

titudes. 

Except when necessary for 

takeoff or landing, or unless otherwise 
authorized by the FAA, no person may 
operate an aircraft under IFR below— 

(1) The applicable minimum altitudes 

prescribed in parts 95 and 97 of this 
chapter. However, if both a MEA and a 
MOCA are prescribed for a particular 
route or route segment, a person may 
operate an aircraft below the MEA 
down to, but not below, the MOCA, pro-
vided the applicable navigation signals 
are available. For aircraft using VOR 

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