Definition
A manufacturer-issued, FAA-approved list that identifies external secondary airframe parts which may be missing from the airplane while it remains airworthy for flight, along with any associated operating limitations and required performance corrections. The CDL is part of the airplane's Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) and applies only to the specific make and model for which it is issued.
Plain English
A list, written by the airplane's manufacturer and approved by the FAA, that tells you which small outside parts of the airplane (like access panels or fairings) the airplane can legally fly without — and what extra rules or performance penalties apply when one of those parts is missing.
Context Anchor
You encounter this when deciding whether an airplane with a missing external item is still allowed to fly.
Derivation
"Configuration" refers to the physical setup of the airplane — the parts and shape it has at a given moment. "Deviation" means a departure from the normal or expected. So the term literally describes a list of allowed departures from the standard airplane configuration.
Why Pilots Care
It prevents unnecessary grounding of aircraft for minor configuration issues while maintaining safety standards.
Intuition Check
Do not read “deviation” as permission to fly with any missing part. In this term, it means only the specific missing items that are approved in the list, with the stated limits followed.
Example Sentence 1
During preflight, the pilot noticed a small wing-tip fairing was missing and consulted the Configuration Deviation List to determine whether the airplane could be legally dispatched.
Example Sentence 2
Dispatch confirmed the aircraft was within limits listed in the Configuration Deviation List.