701 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 91.9 

balloons, which are governed by part 
101 of this chapter, and ultralight vehi-
cles operated in accordance with part 
103 of this chapter) within the United 
States, including the waters within 3 
nautical miles of the U.S. coast. 

(b) Each person operating an aircraft 

in the airspace overlying the waters be-
tween 3 and 12 nautical miles from the 
coast of the United States must com-
ply with §§ 91.1 through 91.21; §§ 91.101 
through 91.143; §§ 91.151 through 91.159; 
§§ 91.167 through 91.193; § 91.203; § 91.205; 
§§ 91.209 through 91.217; § 91.221, § 91.225; 
§§ 91.303 through 91.319; §§ 91.323 through 
91.327; § 91.605; § 91.609; §§ 91.703 through 
91.715; and § 91.903. 

(c) This part applies to each person 

on board an aircraft being operated 
under this part, unless otherwise speci-
fied. 

(d) This part also establishes require-

ments for operators to take actions to 
support the continued airworthiness of 
each airplane. 

[Doc. No. 18334, 54 FR 34292, Aug. 18, 1989, as 
amended by Amdt. 91–257, 64 FR 1079, Jan. 7, 
1999; Amdt. 91–282, 69 FR 44880, July 27, 2004; 
Amdt. 91–297, 72 FR 63410, Nov. 8, 2007; Amdt. 
91–314, 75 FR 30193, May 28, 2010] 

§ 91.3

Responsibility and authority of 

the pilot in command. 

(a) The pilot in command of an air-

craft is directly responsible for, and is 
the final authority as to, the operation 
of that aircraft. 

(b) In an in-flight emergency requir-

ing immediate action, the pilot in com-
mand may deviate from any rule of 
this part to the extent required to 
meet that emergency. 

(c) Each pilot in command who devi-

ates from a rule under paragraph (b) of 
this section shall, upon the request of 
the Administrator, send a written re-
port of that deviation to the Adminis-
trator. 

(Approved by the Office of Management and 
Budget under control number 2120–0005) 

§ 91.5

Pilot in command of aircraft re-

quiring more than one required 
pilot. 

No person may operate an aircraft 

that is type certificated for more than 
one required pilot flight crewmember 
unless the pilot in command meets the 
requirements of § 61.58 of this chapter. 

§ 91.7

Civil aircraft airworthiness. 

(a) No person may operate a civil air-

craft unless it is in an airworthy condi-
tion. 

(b) The pilot in command of a civil 

aircraft is responsible for determining 
whether that aircraft is in condition 
for safe flight. The pilot in command 
shall discontinue the flight when un-
airworthy mechanical, electrical, or 
structural conditions occur. 

§ 91.9

Civil aircraft flight manual, 

marking, and placard requirements. 

(a) Except as provided in paragraph 

(d) of this section, no person may oper-
ate a civil aircraft without complying 
with the operating limitations speci-
fied in the approved Airplane or Rotor-
craft Flight Manual, markings, and 
placards, or as otherwise prescribed by 
the certificating authority of the coun-
try of registry. 

(b) No person may operate a U.S.-reg-

istered civil aircraft— 

(1) For which an Airplane or Rotor-

craft Flight Manual is required by § 21.5 
of this chapter unless there is available 
in the aircraft a current, approved Air-
plane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual or 
the manual provided for in § 121.141(b); 
and 

(2) For which an Airplane or Rotor-

craft Flight Manual is not required by 
§ 21.5 of this chapter, unless there is 
available in the aircraft a current ap-
proved Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight 
Manual, approved manual material, 
markings, and placards, or any com-
bination thereof. 

(c) No person may operate a U.S.-reg-

istered civil aircraft unless that air-
craft is identified in accordance with 
part 45 of this chapter. 

(d) Any person taking off or landing 

a helicopter certificated under part 29 
of this chapter at a heliport con-
structed over water may make such 
momentary flight as is necessary for 
takeoff or landing through the prohib-
ited range of the limiting height-speed 
envelope established for the helicopter 
if that flight through the prohibited 
range takes place over water on which 
a safe ditching can be accomplished 
and if the helicopter is amphibious or 

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