Definition
Under 14 CFR Part 23, the commuter category is a certification class for propeller-driven multiengine airplanes with a seating configuration of 19 or fewer passengers (excluding pilots) and a maximum certificated takeoff weight of 19,000 pounds or less. Airplanes certificated in this category must meet stricter performance and structural standards than other Part 23 categories, including specific one-engine-inoperative climb performance requirements.
Plain English
A small multiengine propeller airplane, built under FAA rules, that is certified to carry up to 19 passengers and weigh up to 19,000 pounds at takeoff. It has to meet tougher performance rules than smaller airplanes, including how well it can climb if one engine quits.
Context Anchor
Seen when planning takeoff obstacle clearance with one engine not working; the airplane’s certification category affects which performance rules apply.
Derivation
‘Commuter’ comes from the idea of short, regular trips between nearby places. The category name reflects the kind of operation these airplanes were designed for — small regional airline flights — rather than the airplane's size alone.
Why Pilots Care
These airplanes must meet specific climb gradients and obstacle clearance rules after an engine failure on takeoff that differ from those for larger transport-category aircraft.
Intuition Check
Do not read commuter as meaning any airplane used for commuting. Here, commuter category means a specific FAA certification class with limits on engines, seats, weight, and type of operation.
Example Sentence 1
The operator's runway analysis program treated the aircraft as a Part 23 commuter category airplane and applied the corresponding one-engine-inoperative climb requirements.
Example Sentence 2
Obstacle clearance calculations for a Part 23 commuter category airplane follow the procedures in the Instrument Procedures Handbook.