[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 14, Volume 2]
[Revised as of January 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 14CFR125.225]

[Page 1006-1007]
 
                     TITLE 14--AERONAUTICS AND SPACE
 
CHAPTER I--FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 
                               (CONTINUED)
 
 PART 125_CERTIFICATION AND OPERATIONS: AIRPLANES HAVING A SEATING CAPACITY OF 
 
             Subpart F_Instrument and Equipment Requirements
 
Sec. 125.225  Flight recorders.

    (a) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, after 
October 11, 1991, no person may operate a large airplane type 
certificated before October 1, 1969, for operations above 25,000 feet 
altitude, nor a multiengine, turbine powered airplane type certificated 
before October 1, 1969, unless it is equipped with one or more approved 
flight recorders that utilize a digital method of recording and storing 
data and a method of readily retrieving that data from the storage 
medium. The following information must be able to be determined within 
the ranges, accuracies, resolution, and recording intervals specified in 
appendix D of this part:
    (1) Time;
    (2) Altitude;
    (3) Airspeed;
    (4) Vertical acceleration;
    (5) Heading;
    (6) Time of each radio transmission to or from air traffic control;
    (7) Pitch attitude;
    (8) Roll attitude;
    (9) Longitudinal acceleration;
    (10) Control column or pitch control surface position; and
    (11) Thrust of each engine.
    (b) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, after 
October 11, 1991, no person may operate a large airplane type 
certificated after September 30, 1969, for operations above 25,000 feet 
altitude, nor a multiengine, turbine powered airplane type certificated 
after September 30, 1969, unless it is equipped with one or more 
approved flight recorders that utilize a digital method of recording and 
storing data and a method of readily retrieving that data from the 
storage medium. The following information must be able to be determined 
within the ranges, accuracies, resolutions, and recording intervals 
specified in appendix D of this part:
    (1) Time;
    (2) Altitude;
    (3) Airspeed;
    (4) Vertical acceleration;
    (5) Heading;
    (6) Time of each radio transmission either to or from air traffic 
control;
    (7) Pitch attitude;
    (8) Roll attitude;
    (9) Longitudinal acceleration;
    (10) Pitch trim position;
    (11) Control column or pitch control surface position;
    (12) Control wheel or lateral control surface position;
    (13) Rudder pedal or yaw control surface position;
    (14) Thrust of each engine;
    (15) Position of each trust reverser;
    (16) Trailing edge flap or cockpit flap control position; and
    (17) Leading edge flap or cockpit flap control position.
    (c) After October 11, 1991, no person may operate a large airplane 
equipped with a digital data bus and ARINC 717 digital flight data 
acquisition unit (DFDAU) or equivalent unless it is equipped with one or 
more approved flight recorders that utilize a digital method of 
recording and storing data and a method of readily retrieving that

[[Page 1007]]

data from the storage medium. Any parameters specified in appendix D of 
this part that are available on the digital data bus must be recorded 
within the ranges, accuracies, resolutions, and sampling intervals 
specified.
    (d) No person may operate under this part an airplane that is 
manufactured after October 11, 1991, unless it is equipped with one or 
more approved flight recorders that utilize a digital method of 
recording and storing data and a method of readily retrieving that data 
from the storage medium. The parameters specified in appendix D of this 
part must be recorded within the ranges, accuracies, resolutions and 
sampling intervals specified. For the purpose of this section, 
``manufactured'' means the point in time at which the airplane 
inspection acceptance records reflect that the airplane is complete and 
meets the FAA-approved type design data.
    (e) Whenever a flight recorder required by this section is 
installed, it must be operated continuously from the instant the 
airplane begins the takeoff roll until it has completed the landing roll 
at an airport.
    (f) Except as provided in paragraph (g) of this section, and except 
for recorded data erased as authorized in this paragraph, each 
certificate holder shall keep the recorded data prescribed in paragraph 
(a), (b), (c), or (d) of this section, as applicable, until the airplane 
has been operated for at least 25 hours of the operating time specified 
in Sec. 125.227(a) of this chapter. A total of 1 hour of recorded data 
may be erased for the purpose of testing the flight recorder or the 
flight recorder system. Any erasure made in accordance with this 
paragraph must be of the oldest recorded data accumulated at the time of 
testing. Except as provided in paragraph (g) of this section, no record 
need be kept more than 60 days.
    (g) In the event of an accident or occurrence that requires 
immediate notification of the National Transportation Safety Board under 
49 CFR part 830 and that results in termination of the flight, the 
certificate holder shall remove the recording media from the airplane 
and keep the recorded data required by paragraph (a), (b), (c), or (d) 
of this section, as applicable, for at least 60 days or for a longer 
period upon the request of the Board or the Administrator.
    (h) Each flight recorder required by this section must be installed 
in accordance with the requirements of Sec. 25.1459 of this chapter in 
effect on August 31, 1977. The correlation required by Sec. 25.1459(c) 
of this chapter need be established only on one airplane of any group of 
airplanes.
    (1) That are of the same type;
    (2) On which the flight recorder models and their installations are 
the same; and
    (3) On which there are no differences in the type design with 
respect to the installation of the first pilot's instruments associated 
with the flight recorder. The most recent instrument calibration, 
including the recording medium from which this calibration is derived, 
and the recorder correlation must be retained by the certificate holder.
    (i) Each flight recorder required by this section that records the 
data specified in paragraphs (a), (b), (c), or (d) of this section must 
have an approved device to assist in locating that recorder under water.

[Doc. No. 25530, 53 FR 26148, July 11, 1988; 53 FR 30906, Aug. 16, 1988]