14 CFR 91.103 preflight action: what the rule requires, line by line
Based on: 14 CFR 91.103eCFR text current as of Checked
Short answer
§ 91.103 requires the pilot in command, before every flight, to become familiar with all available information about that flight. For every flight that includes runway lengths at the airports of intended use and takeoff and landing distance data. For an IFR flight, or any flight not in the vicinity of an airport, it also includes weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, alternatives if the flight cannot be completed, and any known traffic delays ATC has advised.
The opening sentence does most of the work
Each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight.
The paragraphs that follow say what this information must include. They are a minimum, not the whole list. “All available information” is why NOTAMs, temporary flight restrictions and airport notices belong in a preflight even though § 91.103 does not name them.
For every flight: § 91.103(b)
- Runway lengths at airports of intended use. This covers your departure and destination, and any airport you plan to use on the way.
- Takeoff and landing distance information.
- (b)(1): if the aircraft must carry an approved Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual with distance data, use that data.
- (b)(2): otherwise use other reliable information for the expected airport elevation, runway slope, gross weight, wind and temperature.
IFR, and any flight away from the airport: § 91.103(a)
For a flight under IFR, or a flight not in the vicinity of an airport, the information must also include:
- Weather reports and forecasts.
- Fuel requirements.
- Alternatives available if the planned flight cannot be completed.
- Any known traffic delays that ATC has told the pilot in command about.
The rule does not define “in the vicinity of an airport”. A cross-country flight is clearly outside it, and a flight in the traffic pattern is clearly inside.
The NWKRAFT memory aid
| Letter | Item | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| N | NOTAMs | “All available information” (opening sentence) |
| W | Weather reports and forecasts | (a), IFR or away from the airport |
| K | Known traffic delays advised by ATC | (a) |
| R | Runway lengths | (b), every flight |
| A | Alternatives if the flight cannot be completed | (a) |
| F | Fuel requirements | (a); minimums are in § 91.151 (VFR) and § 91.167 (IFR) |
| T | Takeoff and landing distances | (b), every flight |
NWKRAFT is how most instructors teach § 91.103. N is the one item not named in the rule.
Questions pilots ask
What does NWKRAFT stand for?
NOTAMs, Weather, Known ATC delays, Runway lengths, Alternatives, Fuel requirements, Takeoff and landing distances. It is an instructors' memory aid, not wording from the regulation; NOTAMs are not named in § 91.103 but fall under 'all available information'.
Do I need a weather briefing for a local VFR flight?
The weather items in § 91.103(a) are named only for IFR flights and flights not in the vicinity of an airport. The opening sentence still requires all available information concerning the flight, which is why a weather check before any flight is the normal practice.
Where does the takeoff and landing distance data come from?
For aircraft that must have an approved flight manual with that data, from the manual (§ 91.103(b)(1)). For other aircraft, from other reliable information covering airport elevation, runway slope, gross weight, wind and temperature (§ 91.103(b)(2)).
The full text, offline
Regline: FAR/AIM Reader
14 CFR, the AIM and the Pilot/Controller Glossary on iPhone and iPad, offline. Type 91.103 and it is the first result; highlights stay on your words when the FAA amends the text.
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