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3 Answers

C172R/S Anti-Collision Lights

Asked by: 4615 views Aircraft Systems, FAA Regulations

According to the legal interpretation cited in this article: https://pilot-protection-services.aopa.org/news/2018/february/01/inoperative-anticollision-lights, if your plane is equipped with both a red beacon and a strobe light, both must be operative to comply with 91.205 since they are both part of the same anti-collision light system. 

However. in the C172S Nav III PIM, only the strobe light is listed as required in the equipment list, not the beacon light. Also, in the lighting system description, only the strobe light is described as an "anti-collision light."

So am I correct in thinking that this means the beacon light is not considered to be part of the anti-collision light system for this aircraft? And therefore the strobe can be used in lieu of an INOP beacon light, but not the other way around?

On the other hand, if you look at the PIMs for the C172R and the non-NavIII C172S, neither the beacon nor the strobe are listed as required in the equipment list. And in the lighting system description, neither are specifically described as "anti-collision lights." So is this the case where you would assume both the beacon and strobes are part of the anti-collision light system? And therefore the legal interpretation in the article linked above would apply?

 

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3 Answers



  1. Mark Kolber on Jul 28, 2019

    No one knows.

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  2. cmpt7 on Jul 28, 2019

    How do you personally deal with an inoperative beacon or strobe?

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  3. Mark Kolber on Jul 29, 2019

    How to deal with it is a separate question from what the rule requires 😀

    I have no advice. Some people interpret the interpretation to say that if it was installed as a package, the whole package must work. IOW, if the airplane only came with a beacon and you added strobes, you could fly with only one, but not otherwise.

    Others would ground until replaced. Still others would fly anyway on the same theory we drive 5-8 mph over the speed limit. Still others simply think the interpretation makes no sense and disregard it.

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