Minimum safe altitudes: General

In plain English

You must always be high enough to make an emergency landing without undue hazard if the engine quits. Beyond that, minimum altitudes depend on what's below you: over congested areas, 1,000 ft above the highest obstacle within 2,000 ft horizontally; over open or sparsely-populated areas, 500 ft above the surface and no closer than 500 ft to any person, vessel, vehicle or structure.

Key points

• Everywhere: high enough for a safe emergency landing.
• Congested area: 1,000 ft above the highest obstacle within a 2,000 ft radius.
• Other than congested: 500 ft AGL.
• Sparsely populated/open water: stay 500 ft from any person, vessel, vehicle or structure.

Common pitfalls

• Misjudging what counts as "congested."
• Buzzing — the 500-ft-from-people rule catches low passes near boats, cars and buildings.

*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.*