FAR 23.2115 — Takeoff Performance
FAR 23.2115 sets the takeoff performance data manufacturers must determine for Part 23 airplanes, including ground roll, climb, and engine-out distances.
In Plain English
FAR 23.2115 is a certification standard that tells airplane manufacturers what takeoff performance data they must determine and publish for Part 23 (small) airplanes. As a pilot, this is the rule behind the takeoff numbers in your AFM/POH.
When calculating takeoff performance, the applicant must account for:
- Stall speed safety margins
- Minimum control speeds
- Climb gradients
The required distances depend on the airplane category:
- Single-engine airplanes and Level 1, 2, and 3 low-speed multiengine airplanes: ground roll plus initial climb distance to 50 feet (15 m) above the takeoff surface.
- Level 1, 2, and 3 high-speed multiengine airplanes and Level 4 multiengine airplanes: after a sudden critical loss of thrust, the manufacturer must determine the aborted takeoff distance at critical speed, the ground roll and initial climb to 35 feet (11 m), and the net takeoff flight path.
Knowing what's behind these numbers helps you apply them correctly during real-world performance planning.
Regulation Text
14 CFR § 23.2115§ 23.2115 Takeoff performance.
(a) The applicant must determine airplane takeoff performance accounting for—
(1) Stall speed safety margins;
(2) Minimum control speeds; and
(3) Climb gradients.
(b) For single engine airplanes and levels 1, 2, and 3 low-speed multiengine airplanes, takeoff performance includes the determination of ground roll and initial climb distance to 50 feet (15 meters) above the takeoff surface.
(c) For levels 1, 2, and 3 high-speed multiengine airplanes, and level 4 multiengine airplanes, takeoff performance includes a determination of the following distances after a sudden critical loss of thrust—
(1) An aborted takeoff at critical speed;
(2) Ground roll and initial climb to 35 feet (11 meters) above the takeoff surface; and
(3) Net takeoff flight path.
[Doc. No. FAA-2015-1621, Amdt. 23-64, 81 FR 96689, Dec. 30, 2016, as amended by Doc. No. FAA-2022-1355, Amdt. 23-65, 87 FR 75710, Dec. 9, 2022]
Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1What factors must a manufacturer account for when determining takeoff performance under Part 23?
Per FAR 23.2115(a), takeoff performance must account for stall speed safety margins, minimum control speeds, and climb gradients.
Q2For a single-engine Part 23 airplane, what takeoff distance must be published?
Under FAR 23.2115(b), the takeoff performance must include the ground roll and initial climb distance to 50 feet (15 meters) above the takeoff surface.
Q3What additional takeoff data is required for a high-speed or Level 4 multiengine Part 23 airplane?
FAR 23.2115(c) requires, after a sudden critical loss of thrust, an aborted takeoff distance at critical speed, ground roll and initial climb to 35 feet, and the net takeoff flight path.
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Related Sections in Part 23