Airworthiness may be in the eye of the beholder, but the FAA has a well-defined regulatory framework for determining it.

By Sam Dawson

The question comes up time and again in the FBO’s pilot lounge and on aviation-related forums: Does a known fault make an airplane unairworthy? Time and again when faced with this question, I hear the response, "TOMATO FLAMES" for an aircraft in VFR-day conditions, a mnemonic referring to the items required under FAR 91.205 for day VFR. This is part of the answer, but it is neither the beginning nor the end of determining the airworthiness of an aircraft with a known fault. …