Questions if you are bored

[cocknbull]

I'm looking at the equipment list for a 2000 C172R and they do not list either the storbe or the beacon as required. They list it as "S" or standard. According to their list this means it was not required by FAR or FAA certification. Interesting..... Since we all know 91.205 and we can see according to that reg. that it is required. I don't know what to tell you. Typically when dealing with inop equipment you would use a flow..

Required by type certification on equipment lists?

Required by AD?

Required by 91.205?

If yes you can't fly. If No, you can fly however it must be deactivated and placarded or removed and a new weight and baklance be made.

In this case I would say Fly day VFR only. According to Cessna's Operating hand book the aircraft was not required by certification to have an operable collision light system. Infact after reading the manual the aircraft was more then likely typed before March 1996. The manuals first edition came out in December of 1996.

 

[Mickey]

We have two white position lights on the tail of The ERJ. If either one of them is out we cannot fly at night. Regs are regs and this is a real life application. (yes, I know this is not an anti-collision light but, I just brought it up because it's amazing how a little light can ground an aircraft). I think the focus here for discussion should turn turn to the date of certification and what the feds are referring to.
Take care.

 

[501261]

I might have some insight on the Beacon vs. strobe debate. A couple of years back an airplane I was flying had 3 strobes (wingtips and tail) and 2 beacons (upper and lower). During a preflight at an outstation I realized that the upper beacon had burnt out. I went to MEL it when a friendly Fed came up to do a ramp check (he actually was very friendly and gave us a ferry permit to bring us home).

To make a long story short, we couldn't MEL the beacon because in the airplane equipment list the beacon is labeled the Anti-collision lighting system. As we know by now the "anti-collision lighting system" is required by 91.205 and can not be MEL'd.

In conclusion beacons and strobes are both acceptable anti collision lighting systems, which is why you see airplanes with one and not the other. However, 1 of them has to be considered the "anti-collision" lighting system in the POH or equipment list. In our case the beacon is considered the anti-collision (according to the MEL, equipment list, and switch label) and both beacons are required to be working for flight. Strobes are just other lights in our case, just like the recog and logo lights and are not required for flight.

 

[groundpointsix]

Also, maybe someone has looked this one up (not saying this is fact, but don't want to take the time to research it): Where does it say in the FAR's that if you have the collision light system installed that you have to have it turned on? I know it is implied, but is it mandatory?

FAR 91.209 (b): No person may operate an aircraft that is equipped with an anticollision light system, unless it has lighted anticollision lights. However, the anticollision lights need not be lighted when the pilot-in-command determines that, because of operating conditions, it would be in the interest of safety to turn the lights off.