CAT.GEN.MPA.105 Responsibilities of the commander

(a) The commander, in addition to complying with CAT.GEN.MPA.100, shall:

(1)  be responsible for the safety of all crew members, passengers and cargo on board, as soon as the commander arrives on board the aircraft, until the commander leaves the aircraft at the end of the flight;

(2)  be responsible for the operation and safety of the aircraft:

(i)  for aeroplanes, from the moment the aeroplane is first ready to move for the purpose of taxiing prior to take-off, until the moment it finally comes to rest at the end of the flight and the engine(s) used as primary propulsion unit(s) is(are) shut down;

(ii)  for helicopters, when the rotors are turning;

(3)  have authority to give all commands and take any appropriate actions for the purpose of securing the safety of the aircraft and of persons and/or property carried therein in accordance with 7.c of Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008;

(4)  have authority to disembark any person, or any part of the cargo, that may represent a potential hazard to the safety of the aircraft or its occupants;

(5)  not allow a person to be carried in the aircraft who appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs to the extent that the safety of the aircraft or its occupants is likely to be endangered;

(6)  have the right to refuse transportation of inadmissible passengers, deportees or persons in custody if their carriage increases the risk to the safety of the aircraft or its occupants;

(7)  ensure that all passengers are briefed on the location of emergency exits and the location and use of relevant safety and emergency equipment;

(8)  ensure that all operational procedures and checklists are complied with in accordance with the operations manual;

(9)  not permit any crew member to perform any activity during critical phases of flight, except duties required for the safe operation of the aircraft;

(10)  ensure that:

(i)  flight recorders are not disabled or switched off during flight;

(ii)  in the event of an occurrence other than an accident or a serious incident that shall be reported according to ORO.GEN.160(a), flight recorders’ recordings are not intentionally erased; and

(iii)  in the event of an accident or a serious incident, or if preservation of recordings of flight recorders is directed by the investigating authority:

(A) flight recorders’ recordings are not intentionally erased;

(B) flight recorders are deactivated immediately after the flight is completed; and

(C) precautionary measures to preserve the recordings of flight recorders are taken before leaving the flight crew compartment;

(11)  decide on acceptance of the aircraft with unserviceabilities in accordance with the configuration deviation list (CDL) or the minimum equipment list (MEL);

(12)  ensure that the pre-flight inspection has been carried out in accordance with the requirements of Annex I (Part-M) to Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014;

(13)  be satisfied that relevant emergency equipment remains easily accessible for immediate use;

(14)  record, at the termination of the flight, utilisation data and all known or suspected defects of the aircraft in the aircraft technical log or journey log of the aircraft to ensure continued flight safety.

(b) The commander, or the pilot to whom conduct of the flight has been delegated, shall, in an emergency situation that requires immediate decision and action, take any action he/she considers necessary under the circumstances in accordance with 7.d of Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008. In such cases he/she may deviate from rules, operational procedures and methods in the interest of safety.

(c) Whenever an aircraft in flight has manoeuvred in response to an airborne collision avoidance system (ACAS) resolution advisory (RA), the commander shall submit an ACAS report to the CAA.

(d) Bird hazards and strikes:

(1)  Whenever a potential bird hazard is observed, the commander shall inform the air traffic service (ATS) unit as soon as flight crew workload allows.

(2)   Whenever an aircraft for which the commander is responsible suffers a bird strike that results in significant damage to the aircraft or the loss or malfunction of any essential service, the commander shall submit a written bird strike report after landing to the CAA.

(e) The commander shall, as soon as possible, report to the appropriate air traffic services (ATS) unit any hazardous weather or flight conditions encountered that are likely to affect the safety of other aircraft.