A minimum equipment list specifies the necessary equipment for an aircraft to take flight, covering everything from windows to fuel systems. Owners must purchase a Master Minimum Equipment List to develop a specific list for their aircraft, which must be approved by the governing body for their location. The list covers a wide range of equipment and specifies procedures to mitigate deficiencies. Deficiencies must be corrected by authorized personnel before the aircraft can fly.
A minimum equipment list is a list used in aviation that specifies what equipment, as a minimum, must be installed and operational before an aircraft takes flight. The equipment covered on the list is extensive and varies widely, from windows and doors to fuel and flight systems, emergency equipment, and more. Such lists are specific to individual aircraft and are developed from the Minimum Equipment Master List maintained by the governing body for a particular location. Rotary vessels and lighter than aircraft, as well as more standard aircraft such as airplanes, may have minimum equipment lists.
To develop a minimum equipment list for a specific aircraft, the owner or operator must purchase a copy of the Master Minimum Equipment List. In general, this list can be requested from the appropriate governing body for the locality. Reviewing this master list, as well as the flight, maintenance, and other manuals for the specific aircraft will help create an appropriate document.
Upon development of the minimum equipment list for their aircraft, the owner or operator submits the document to the appropriate governing body for approval. This governing body is usually a government aviation authority with jurisdiction over your location. The Federal Aviation Administration in the United States, the Civil Aviation Authority in the United Kingdom, and Transport Canada, for example, have legal authority over approvals in their jurisdictions. Once this list is approved for a specific aircraft, it becomes the governing document for the aircraft replacing the more general master list. An approved minimum equipment list for a particular aircraft is specific only to that aircraft and is not transferable to another aircraft.
The minimum equipment list covers a wide range of aircraft equipment and specifies the procedures necessary to mitigate deficiencies when this equipment is lost or becomes inoperative. Electrical and hydraulic power systems, fuel systems, and oxygen systems are covered, as are flight indicators, navigation equipment, landing gear, and other devices necessary for the safe operation of the aircraft. Equipment such as fire protection, survival and medical kits, data recorders, and other items are also covered, although they are not necessary for the operation of the aircraft under normal conditions.
If an item on the aircraft is found to be missing or not working, the operator checks the minimum equipment list for the procedure needed to correct the deficiency. The list documents who is authorized to correct each of the covered deficiencies. Some deficiencies can be corrected by the operator. Only a licensed mechanic can correct other deficiencies, usually those of a more technical nature. All deficiencies must be addressed before an aircraft is considered flight-ready.
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