a Digital flight data recorders for 10-19 seat airplanes

This regulation sets digital flight data recorder (DFDR) requirements for Part 121 turbine-powered airplanes with 10-19 passenger seats, with requirements varying by when the airplane was manufactured or added to U.S. operations.

Airplanes added to the U.S. register after October 1991 must have digital recorders that capture specific flight parameters. The number of required parameters increases with manufacturing date: 18-22 parameters for older aircraft (by August 2001), 57 parameters for those built after August 2000, and 88 parameters for aircraft manufactured after August 2002. The specific parameters, recording accuracy, and ranges are detailed in referenced appendices.

Certain older airplane models manufactured before August 1997 (like Beech 99, DHC-6, and others listed) are exempt and follow different rules under Part 135. Newer airplanes (manufactured after April 2010) must meet enhanced crashworthiness standards and retain 25 hours of data.

*This is a plain-English summary for study only. The official 14 CFR text on this page is controlling — always read the current regulation and consult a CFI.*