Definition
A specific provision within Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Part 23, which governs airworthiness standards for normal category airplanes. Section 23.2005(b) establishes the certification levels and performance levels used to classify airplanes under Part 23, based on factors such as maximum seating capacity and maximum operating speed. These classifications determine which detailed airworthiness requirements apply to a particular airplane design.
Plain English
A rule in the FAA's airplane certification regulations that sorts small airplanes into categories based on how many seats they have and how fast they fly. Where an airplane fits in these categories decides which safety and design rules its manufacturer has to meet.
Context Anchor
Seen when FAA training material refers to airplane categories, certification levels, or the rules an airplane was designed and approved under.
Why Pilots Care
The section ensures the airplane you fly was tested and approved only for the loading conditions stated in its flight manual, directly affecting safe operation and legal airworthiness.
Intuition Check
Do not read “section” here as a physical section of the airplane. Here it means a numbered part of a federal regulation.
Example Sentence 1
The airplane was certified under the performance levels set out in section 23.2005(b), which placed it in a lower-speed, lower-seat category with a corresponding set of design requirements.
Example Sentence 2
A pilot checking the type certificate data sheet can see how section 23.2005(b) limits the approved center of gravity range.