REFLECTOR: Velocity MEL (Minimum Equipment List)

[Bob Jackson (Jax Tech)]

I lost an alternator on takeoff returning from KCHS at night, so I cancelled
my IFR clearance and returned to KCHS for the night.  As the Repairman
certificate holder, I inspected and determined on the ground that the plane
was safe for flight (since we have two buses that can be cross-fed, two
batteries and two alternators, each with adequate capacity for all
electrical equipment operation) and flew home from KCHS the next morning on
an IFR flight plan.

 

A week later I got a call from the FAA in South Carolina asking if we had a
minimum equipment list, and if not, how I got the plane back from Charleston
to Florida without first obtaining ferry permission from the local FSDO.  He
also asked that I send him a statement explaining what happened along with
my license and Repairman's certificate numbers, which I did (a two sentence
statement).  Apparently, the KCHS tower (or ATC) 'turned me in' when I
cancelled my IFR clearance.

 

Two weeks later I just received a new voicemail from the Charlotte FAA
office - which I haven't been able to return yet, but that I suspect is over
the same issue.

 

My questions are:

1.	Do any other small planes, Velocity's, or Experimental planes in
general ever have MELs?  Do MELs apply to Experimentals?
2.	If not, wouldn't the equipment list included in FAR 91.205(d)
('Instrument and Equipment Requirements') serve essentially as a MEL - which
says for IFR flight you are required to have 'a generator or alternator of
adequate capacity'?
3.	Since we included considerable redundancy (including dual
alternators) in our build, should we have created, or should we create now,
a Minimum Equipment List (MEL) for our plane to cover this type of
situation?

 

The Velocity POH that we carry in our plane includes a top level electrical
schematic showing a single alternator.  The original Weight & Balance sheet
we also carry lists oxygen system, two batteries, two alternators, IFR
panel, etc as included in the empty weight for the W&B calculation.  Does
the fact that we originally listed two imply to the FAA that we must always
have TWO alternators now to safely fly (since we don't have a MEL)?

 

We included two alternators in our design just for this situation -- to give
us the redundancy to fly safely with only one alternator.  But now it seems
like we can't legally utilize it without asking for a ferry permit!

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for:

*	Short term - how to handle Charlotte FSDO discussion?
*	Long term - should we create (and get approved) our own MEL to allow
us to fly with less than all the equipment we originally designed in?

 

Bob Jackson

N2XF  Velocity XL/RG

750 hrs

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