Minimum equipment list
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In aviation, a minimum equipment list, or MEL, is a categorized list of instruments and equipment on an aircraft that must be operative before the aircraft can legally fly.
[edit] Overview
In the United States, unless certain conditions are met, the Federal Aviation Regulations do not allow any aircraft to be operated with any equipment inoperative.[1] One of these conditions is that the aircraft have a minimum equipment list and that the inoperative equipment not be listed on the MEL as required for flight.
Even seemingly insignificant items such as light bulbs in the cabin may be on the MEL, as light bulbs are still part of the electrical system and thus part of the airplane's equipment (and potentially important for the safety of flight). Of course, a simple light bulb in the cabin may not be essential to safety, and so it may be noted as not necessary for flight if it appears on the MEL.
[edit] Implementation
Minimum equipment lists are issued to specific aircraft and specific operators. In order to use a minimum equipment list, that specific company must receive a letter of authorization from the FAA in the United States or its regulatory counterpart in other nations.
A minimum equipment list is required in the United States:
- When operating any turbine-powered aircraft such as jets or turboprops.
- When operating under part 135 (Commuter and on-demand operations) [2]
- When operating under part 125 (Non-airline large aircraft operations)[3]
