Federal Aviation Administration, DOT

Section 121.543

Section 121.538 Aircraft security.
Certificate holders conducting operations under this part must comply
with the applicable security requirements in 49 CFR chapter XII.
[67 FR 8350, Feb. 22, 2002]

Section 121.539 Operations notices.
Each certificate holder shall notify
its appropriate operations personnel of
each change in equipment and operating
procedures,
including
each
known change in the use of navigation
aids, airports, air traffic control procedures and regulations, local airport
traffic control rules, and known hazards to flight, including icing and other
potentially hazardous meteorological
conditions and irregularities in ground
and navigation facilities.
Section 121.541 Operations schedules: Domestic and flag operations.
In establishing flight operations
schedules, each certificate holder conducting domestic or flag operations
shall allow enough time for the proper
servicing of aircraft at intermediate
stops, and shall consider the prevailing
winds en route and the cruising speed
of the type of aircraft used. This cruising speed may not be more than that
resulting from the specified cruising
output of the engines.

could interfere in any way with the
proper conduct of those duties. Activities such as eating meals, engaging in
nonessential conversations within the
cockpit and nonessential communications between the cabin and cockpit
crews, and reading publications not related to the proper conduct of the
flight are not required for the safe operation of the aircraft.
(c) For the purposes of this section,
critical phases of flight includes all
ground operations involving taxi, takeoff and landing, and all other flight operations conducted below 10,000 feet,
except cruise flight.
NOTE: Taxi is defined as  - movement of an
airplane under its own power on the surface
of an airport. - 

(d) During all flight time as defined
in 14 CFR 1.1, no flight crewmember
may use, nor may any pilot in command permit the use of, a personal
wireless communications device (as defined in 49 U.S.C. 44732(d)) or laptop
computer while at a flight crewmember
duty station unless the purpose is directly related to operation of the aircraft, or for emergency, safety-related,
or employment-related communications, in accordance with air carrier
procedures approved by the Administrator.

[Doc. No. 28154, 61 FR 2613, Jan. 26, 1996]

[Doc. No. 20661, 46 FR 5502, Jan. 19, 1981, as
amended by Amdt. 121-369, 79 FR 8263, Feb.
12, 2014]

Section 121.542 Flight crewmember duties.
(a) No certificate holder shall require, nor may any flight crewmember
perform, any duties during a critical
phase of flight except those duties required for the safe operation of the aircraft. Duties such as company required
calls made for such nonsafety related
purposes as ordering galley supplies
and confirming passenger connections,
announcements made to passengers
promoting the air carrier or pointing
out sights of interest, and filling out
company payroll and related records
are not required for the safe operation
of the aircraft.
(b) No flight crewmember may engage in, nor may any pilot in command
permit, any activity during a critical
phase of flight which could distract
any flight crewmember from the performance of his or her duties or which

Section 121.543 Flight crewmembers at controls.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph
(b) of this section, each required flight
crewmember on flight deck duty must
remain at the assigned duty station
with seat belt fastened while the aircraft is taking off or landing, and while
it is en route.
(b) A required flight crewmember
may leave the assigned duty station - 
(1) If the crewmember-s absence is
necessary for the performance of duties
in connection with the operation of the
aircraft;
(2) If the crewmember-s absence is in
connection with physiological needs; or
(3) If the crewmember is taking a rest
period, and relief is provided - 
(i) In the case of the assigned pilot in
command during the en route cruise
portion of the flight, by a pilot who

197

VerDate Sep<11>2014

08:20 May 17, 2019

Jkt 247048

PO 00000

Frm 00207

Fmt 8010

Sfmt 8010

Y:\SGML\247048.XXX

247048