On Thu, 19 Aug 2004 10:36:06 -0700, DanH
wrote:

snip

I check out a 172 from the club, but the landing light is burned out.
I'm flying "not for hire", VFR around a class G airport, so no
requirements for radios, transponder, or landing light (day or night).
The landing light switch has not been labeled, just a note in the squawk
sheet behind the tach sheets, or maybe not even squawked, perhaps I
found the problem during pre-flight.

Can I still legally fly this plane? It meets all the requirements for
day and night VFR if the landing light was not installed at all. But do
I have to have the equipment pulled or disabled to fly? What would the
owner (e.g. a flying club) need to do to allow this bird to fly in this
condition? (obviously repair the burned out bulb, but other than that).

§ 91.213 Inoperative instruments and equipment.

MEL stuff snipped, to the best of my knowledge, there is not a MMEL
for a 172

d) Except for operations conducted in accordance with paragraph (a) or
(c) of this section, a person may takeoff an aircraft in operations
conducted under this part with inoperative instruments and equipment
without an approved Minimum Equipment List provided—

(1) The flight operation is conducted in a—

(i) Rotorcraft, nonturbine-powered airplane, glider, or
lighter-than-air aircraft for which a master Minimum Equipment List
has not been developed; or

(ii) Small rotorcraft, nonturbine-powered small airplane, glider, or
lighter-than-air aircraft for which a Master Minimum Equipment List
has been developed; and

(2) The inoperative instruments and equipment are not—

(i) Part of the VFR-day type certification instruments and equipment
prescribed in the applicable airworthiness regulations under which the
aircraft was type certificated;

(ii) Indicated as required on the aircraft's equipment list, or on the
Kinds of Operations Equipment List for the kind of flight operation
being conducted;

(iii) Required by §91.205 or any other rule of this part for the
specific kind of flight operation being conducted; or

(iv) Required to be operational by an airworthiness directive; and

(3) The inoperative instruments and equipment are—

(i) Removed from the aircraft, the cockpit control placarded, and the
maintenance recorded in accordance with §43.9 of this chapter; or

(ii) Deactivated and placarded “Inoperative.” If deactivation of the
inoperative instrument or equipment involves maintenance, it must be
accomplished and recorded in accordance with part 43 of this chapter;
and

(4) A determination is made by a pilot, who is certificated and
appropriately rated under part 61 of this chapter, or by a person, who
is certificated and appropriately rated to perform maintenance on the
aircraft, that the inoperative instrument or equipment does not
constitute a hazard to the aircraft.

An aircraft with inoperative instruments or equipment as provided in
paragraph (d) of this section is considered to be in a properly
altered condition acceptable to the Administrator.

TC