REFLECTOR: Velocity MEL (Minimum Equipment List)

[John Dibble]

If you're an EAA member, call them. They were a big help when I got a 
ticket for no fuel tank labels. They can answer your questions and maybe 
call the FAA on your behalf.

John

On 1/12/2013 1:42 PM, Bob Jackson (Jax Tech) wrote:
>
> 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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