Additional equipment requirements

This regulation sets equipment requirements for aircraft operating under fractional ownership programs (Part 91 Subpart K). The specific equipment depends on aircraft size.

Larger aircraft (more than 30 passenger seats or over 7,500 pounds payload capacity) must have cockpit voice recorders, flight recorders, terrain awareness and warning systems (TAWS), traffic alert and collision avoidance systems (TCAS), and airborne weather radar—following the same standards as Part 121 air carriers.

Smaller aircraft (30 seats or fewer and 7,500 pounds payload or less, plus all rotorcraft) must have similar equipment but following Part 135 commuter/on-demand standards. For weather detection, these aircraft may use either thunderstorm detection equipment or weather radar.

In practice, this ensures fractional ownership aircraft have safety equipment comparable to commercial operations, even though they operate under Part 91. The referenced sections in Parts 121 and 135 contain the detailed specifications for each system.

*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.*