Flight Instructor for Airplane Category › II. Technical Subject Areas › Task F. Performance and Limitations

AI.II.F.R5

Risk management

Operating outside of CG limits.

Study note

Get a short, cited explanation of this element written from the FAA handbooks: the core idea, the numbers that matter, common test traps, and a quick self-check.

From the FAA library

Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge p. 9-13
Chapter 10: Weight and Balance
weight limitation compromises the structural integrity of an aircraft and adversely affects its performance. Operation with the center of gravity (CG) outside the approved limits results in control difficulty. As discussed in Chapter 5, Aerodynamics of Flight, weight ... body and the acceleration acting on the body. Weight is a major factor in aircraft construction and operation and demands respect from all pilots…
Aircraft Weight and Balance Handbook p. 3-1
Chapter 3: Weighing the Aircraft and Determining the Empty Weight Center of Gravity › Requirements
because limit information is critical for safe flight. A secondary purpose is to aid efficiency during flight. Overloading of the aircraft is not the only concern; the distribution of the weight is important also. The aircraft has CG limits ... loading that places the CG outside the established limits seriously impairs controllability of the aircraft…
Aircraft Weight and Balance Handbook p. G-1
Glossary
governing commuter and on-demand operations. Adverse loaded CG check. A weight and balance check to determine that no condition of legal loading of an aircraft can move the CG outside of its allowable limits. Aircraft specifications. Documentation containing ... approved document, prepared by the holder of a type certificate for an aircraft, that specifies the operating limitations and contains the required markings and placards and other information applicable to the regulations under which the aircraft was certificated Approved type…
Aircraft Weight and Balance Handbook p. 2-6
Chapter 2: Weight and Balance Theory › FAA-Furnished Weight and Balance Information › CG Range
Limits: 148.1 in at 2,100 lb, with straight line to 148.1 in at 3,050 lb Empty Weight CG Range (EWCG) When all of the seats and baggage compartments are located close together, it is not possible ... long as the EWCG is located within the EWCG range) to legally load the aircraft so that its operational CG falls outside this allowable range. If the seats and baggage areas extend over a wide range, the EWCG range…
Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge p. 5-25
Chapter 5: Aerodynamics of Flight › Stalls
allowed to be operated outside of the CG range, the pilot may have difficulty recovering from a stall. The most critical CG violation would occur when operating with a CG that exceeds the rear limit. In this situation, a pilot…
Aircraft Weight and Balance Handbook p. 1-3
Chapter 1: Weight and Balance Control › Weight Changes
creates the most critical balance condition and still remains within the design CG limits of the aircraft. If any of the checks fall outside the loaded CG range, the aircraft must be reconfigured or placarded to prevent the pilot from ... loading the aircraft improperly. It is sometimes possible to install a fixed ballast in order for the aircraft to operate again within the normal CG range. The FAA-certificated mechanic or repairman conducting an annual or condition inspection must ensure…