435 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 135.151 

passenger compartment are observable 
from one or more of those stations so 
equipped; 

(ii) Has an alerting system incor-

porating aural or visual signals for use 
by flight crewmembers to alert flight 
attendants and for use by flight attend-
ants to alert flight crewmembers; 

(iii) For the alerting system required 

by paragraph (b)(7)(ii) of this section, 
has a means for the recipient of a call 
to determine whether it is a normal 
call or an emergency call; and 

(iv) When the airplane is on the 

ground, provides a means of two-way 
communication between ground per-
sonnel and either of at least two flight 
crewmembers in the pilot compart-
ment. The interphone system station 
for use by ground personnel must be so 
located that personnel using the sys-
tem may avoid visible detection from 
within the airplane. 

[Doc. No. 24995, 54 FR 43926, Oct. 27, 1989] 

§ 135.151

Cockpit voice recorders. 

(a) No person may operate a multien-

gine, turbine-powered airplane or 
rotorcraft having a passenger seating 
configuration of six or more and for 
which two pilots are required by cer-
tification or operating rules unless it is 
equipped with an approved cockpit 
voice recorder that: 

(1) Is installed in compliance with 

§ 23.1457(a)(1) and (2), (b), (c), (d)(1)(i), 
(2) and (3), (e), (f), and (g); § 25.1457(a)(1) 
and (2), (b), (c), (d)(1)(i), (2) and (3), (e), 
(f), and (g), § 27.1457(a)(1) and (2), (b), 
(c), (d)(1)(i), (2) and (3), (e), (f), and (g); 
or § 29.1457(a)(1) and (2), (b), (c), (d)(1)(i), 
(2) and (3), (e), (f), and (g) of this chap-
ter, as applicable; and 

(2) Is operated continuously from the 

use of the check list before the flight 
to completion of the final check list at 
the end of the flight. 

(b) No person may operate a multien-

gine, turbine-powered airplane or 
rotorcraft having a passenger seating 
configuration of 20 or more seats unless 
it is equipped with an approved cockpit 
voice recorder that— 

(1) Is installed in accordance with the 

requirements of § 23.1457 (except para-
graphs (a)(6), (d)(1)(ii), (4), and (5)); 
§ 25.1457 (except paragraphs (a)(6), 
(d)(1)(ii), (4), and (5)); § 27.1457 (except 
paragraphs (a)(6), (d)(1)(ii), (4), and (5)); 

or § 29.1457 (except paragraphs (a)(6), 
(d)(1)(ii), (4), and (5)) of this chapter, as 
applicable; and 

(2) Is operated continuously from the 

use of the check list before the flight 
to completion of the final check list at 
the end of the flight. 

(c) In the event of an accident, or oc-

currence requiring immediate notifica-
tion of the National Transportation 
Safety Board which results in termi-
nation of the flight, the certificate 
holder shall keep the recorded informa-
tion for at least 60 days or, if requested 
by the Administrator or the Board, for 
a longer period. Information obtained 
from the record may be used to assist 
in determining the cause of accidents 
or occurrences in connection with in-
vestigations. The Administrator does 
not use the record in any civil penalty 
or certificate action. 

(d) For those aircraft equipped to 

record the uninterrupted audio signals 
received by a boom or a mask micro-
phone the flight crewmembers are re-
quired to use the boom microphone 
below 18,000 feet mean sea level. No 
person may operate a large turbine en-
gine powered airplane manufactured 
after October 11, 1991, or on which a 
cockpit voice recorder has been in-
stalled after October 11, 1991, unless it 
is equipped to record the uninterrupted 
audio signal received by a boom or 
mask microphone in accordance with 
§ 25.1457(c)(5) of this chapter. 

(e) In complying with this section, an 

approved cockpit voice recorder having 
an erasure feature may be used, so that 
during the operation of the recorder, 
information: 

(1) Recorded in accordance with para-

graph (a) of this section and recorded 
more than 15 minutes earlier; or 

(2) Recorded in accordance with para-

graph (b) of this section and recorded 
more than 30 minutes earlier; may be 
erased or otherwise obliterated. 

(f) By April 7, 2012, all airplanes sub-

ject to paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) 
of this section that are manufactured 
before April 7, 2010, and that are re-
quired to have a flight data recorder 
installed in accordance with § 135.152, 
must have a cockpit voice recorder 
that also— 

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