Definition
An aircraft registered in the United States, identifiable by a registration number that begins with the letter N. The N prefix is the international identifier assigned to the United States by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and every U.S.-registered civil aircraft displays an N-number on its fuselage or tail.
Plain English
An aircraft that is officially registered in the United States. You can recognize one because its registration number painted on the side or tail starts with the letter N.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA rules, maintenance discussions, MEL use, and aircraft paperwork when the rule depends on whether the aircraft is registered in the United States.
Derivation
Each country was assigned a letter or letter group by international agreement to mark the nationality of its aircraft. The United States received N. So an N-numbered aircraft simply means a U.S.-registered one.
Why Pilots Care
Determines whether FAA-specific rules for minimum equipment, maintenance, and operations apply to the flight.
Intuition Check
Do not read N-numbered as meaning any aircraft with numbers painted on it. Here it means a U.S.-registered aircraft whose registration mark starts with N.
Example Sentence 1
All N-numbered aircraft operating under Part 91 must comply with the FAA's rules for inoperative equipment.
Example Sentence 2
An N-numbered aircraft must carry its registration certificate on board even when operating with inoperative equipment.