The pilot in command (PIC) of an aircraft is the person aboard the aircraft who is ultimately responsible for its operation and safety during flight. This would be the "captain" in a typical two- or three-pilot flight crew, or "pilot" if there is only one certified and qualified pilot at the controls of an aircraft. The PIC must be legally certified (or otherwise authorized) to operate the aircraft for the specific flight and flight conditions, but need not be actually manipulating the controls at any given moment. The PIC is the person legally in charge of the aircraft and its flight safety and operation, and would normally be the primary person liable for an infraction of any flight rule.
The strict legal definition of PIC may vary slightly from country to country. The ICAO definition is: "The pilot responsible for the operation and safety of the aircraft during flight time."[1] Flight time is defined by the U.S. FAA as "The total time from the moment an aircraft first moves under its own power for the purpose of taking off until the moment it comes to rest at the end of the flight."[2] This would normally include taxiing, which involves the ground operation to and from the runway, as long as the taxiing is carried out with the intention of flying the aircraft.
The U.S. CFR Title 14, Part 1, Section 1.1 defines "pilot in command" as:[3]
...the person who: (1) Has final authority and responsibility for the operation and safety of the flight; (2) Has been designated as pilot in command before or during the flight; and (3) Holds the appropriate category, class, and type rating, if appropriate, for the conduct of the flight.
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Under U.S. FAA FAR 91.3, "Responsibility and authority of the pilot in command", the FAA declares:[4]
ICAO and other countries equivalent rules are similar. In Annex 2, "Rules of the Air", under par. "2.3.1 Responsibility of pilot-in-command", ICAO declares:[1]
The pilot-in-command of an aircraft shall, whether manipulating the controls or not, be responsible for the operation of the aircraft in accordance with the rules of the air, except that the pilot-in-command may depart from these rules in circumstances that render such departure absolutely necessary in the interests of safety.
In Annex 2, par. "2.4 Authority of pilot-in-command of an aircraft", ICAO adds:[1]
The pilot-in-command of an aircraft shall have final authority as to the disposition of the aircraft while in command.
Both FAR 91.3(b) and ICAO Annex 2, par. 2.3.1, specifically empower the PIC to override any other regulation in an emergency, and to take the safest course of action at his/her sole discretion. This provision mirrors the authority given to the captains of ships at sea, with similar justifications. It essentially gives the PIC the final authority in any situation involving the safety of a flight, irrespective of any other law or regulation.
Under U.S. FAA FAR 14 CFR 61.51,[5] logging flight time as a PIC is different and distinct from acting as the legal PIC for a flight. This article is focused on the identity and legal responsibilities of the pilot acting as PIC for a flight, not the logging of PIC flight time, which is done to record flight experience. In general, the PIC of a given flight may always log his or her flying time as such, while other crew members may or may not be authorized to log their time on that flight as PIC time, depending on the specific circumstances and the controlling jurisdiction.[6]
Craig, Paul A. (2000). Pilot in Command. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0071348441.