Definition
The paragraph of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91, section 213, paragraph (a), which sets the rules for flying an aircraft with inoperative instruments or equipment when the operator uses an approved Minimum Equipment List (MEL). It establishes that the MEL becomes a regulatory document for that aircraft, and that any item not working must be handled exactly as the MEL specifies before flight.
Plain English
It is the FAA rule that says: if your aircraft has an approved list of equipment it is allowed to fly without, you must follow that list to the letter when something is broken. You cannot just decide on your own that a broken item is fine to ignore.
Context Anchor
Seen in maintenance, dispatch, and preflight discussions when deciding whether an aircraft with a broken or inoperative item may legally be flown.
Derivation
Section comes from a Latin root meaning “to cut.” In law and manuals, a section is a cut-out part of a larger document. In section 91.213(a), “91” points to the operating rules for general flight operations, “.213” points to the specific rule about inoperative instruments and equipment, and “(a)” points to the first main paragraph of that rule.
Why Pilots Care
It determines whether a planned flight can legally and safely continue with specific items not functioning.
Grounding Statement
If an installed item is not working, section 91.213(a) is one of the rules a pilot checks before deciding whether the aircraft can still take off.
Intuition Check
“Section” does not mean a physical part of the airplane here. It means a specific numbered part of the federal aviation regulations.
Example Sentence 1
The captain found the auxiliary fuel pump inoperative and worked through the MEL procedure required by section 91.213(a) before releasing the aircraft for flight.
Example Sentence 2
The maintenance log noted compliance with section 91.213(a) for the deferred equipment items.