Flight & Powerplant Instruments

FAR 23.2615 — Flight & Powerplant Instruments

FAR 23.2615 explains how flight, navigation, and powerplant instruments must display information, limitations, and remain available after failures.

In Plain English

FAR 23.2615 sets the design standard for the flight, navigation, and powerplant instruments installed in Part 23 airplanes. The goal is simple: give the pilot the information needed to fly the airplane safely in every phase of flight.

Under this section, installed systems must:

Present parameters so the crewmember can monitor values and detect trends while operating the airplane.
Show operating limitations, unless the limitation physically cannot be exceeded in normal operations.

For integrated displays (like a glass cockpit PFD/MFD) that combine flight or powerplant data, or that are required by the operating rules, the regulation adds two more requirements:

They must not inhibit the primary display of flight or powerplant parameters in any normal mode.
After any single failure or probable combination of failures, information essential for continued safe flight and landing must still reach the crew in a timely manner.

Operationally, this is why your airspeed, altitude, attitude, and engine parameters remain visible — with redundancy — even when something fails behind the panel.

Regulation Text

14 CFR § 23.2615

§ 23.2615 Flight, navigation, and powerplant instruments. (a) Installed systems must provide the flightcrew member who sets or monitors parameters for the flight, navigation, and powerplant, the information necessary to do so during each phase of flight. This information must— (1) Be presented in a manner that the crewmember can monitor the parameter and determine trends, as needed, to operate the airplane; and (2) Include limitations, unless the limitation cannot be exceeded in all intended operations. (b) Indication systems that integrate the display of flight or powerplant parameters to operate the airplane or are required by the operating rules of this chapter must— (1) Not inhibit the primary display of flight or powerplant parameters needed by any flightcrew member in any normal mode of operation; and (2) In combination with other systems, be designed and installed so information essential for continued safe flight and landing will be available to the flightcrew in a timely manner after any single failure or probable combination of failures.

Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask

Q1What does FAR 23.2615 require flight and powerplant instruments to display to the pilot?

Per FAR 23.2615(a), instruments must present the parameters needed to operate the airplane in each phase of flight, allow the pilot to monitor values and trends, and include operating limitations unless those limits cannot be exceeded in normal operations.

Q2If your airplane has an integrated glass cockpit, what does the regulation require after a failure?

FAR 23.2615(b) requires that, in combination with other systems, the integrated displays be designed so that information essential for continued safe flight and landing remains available to the flightcrew in a timely manner after any single failure or probable combination of failures.

Q3Can an integrated display hide primary flight or engine information in a normal mode?

No. FAR 23.2615(b)(1) specifically prohibits integrated indication systems from inhibiting the primary display of flight or powerplant parameters needed by any flightcrew member in any normal mode of operation.

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Related Sections in Part 23

§ 23.1457

Cockpit Voice Recorders

§ 23.1459

Flight Data Recorders