AA.II.A — Preflight Assessment
AA.II.A for the Airline Transport Pilot Airplane ACS: official objective, references, and 28 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.
FAA-S-ACS-11A, November 2023. This study page does not replace the current FAA publication or an examiner's plan of action.
Official task context
| Certificate or rating | Airline Transport Pilot |
|---|---|
| Aircraft category | Airplane |
| Area of operation | Area of Operation II. Preflight Procedures |
| Task | Task A. Preflight Assessment |
| Task code prefix | AA.II.A |
| Official references | 14 CFR parts 43, 61, 63, 71, 91, 97, 117, 119, 121, 135; AC 120-27, AC 120-60, AC 135-17, AIM, FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-3, FAA-H-8083-23, FAA-H-8083-25, FAA-H-8083-28; POH/AFM |
| FAA document | FAA-S-ACS-11A — Airline Transport Pilot and Type Rating for Airplane Category Airman Certification Standards |
| FAA source library | Open the official ACS library |
Official task objective
To determine the applicant exhibits satisfactory knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with preparation for safe flight.
What the ACS code means
- AA identifies the ACS standard family used for this Airline Transport Pilot Airplane document.
- II identifies Preflight Procedures, the Area of Operation.
- A identifies Preflight Assessment, the Task within that Area.
- K, R, and S identify knowledge, risk-management, and skill elements. The number selects the item; a trailing lowercase letter identifies a listed sub-element.
Knowledge elements
| ACS code | Official description | How a mock oral can probe it |
|---|---|---|
| AA.II.A.K1 | Pilot self-assessment. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.A.K2 | Determining that the aircraft to be used is appropriate, airworthy, and in a condition for safe flight by locating and explaining related documents such as: | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.A.K2a | a. Airworthiness and registration certificates | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.A.K2b | b. Operating limitations, handbooks, and manuals | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.A.K2c | c. Minimum Equipment List (MEL) and Configuration Deviation List (CDL), Kinds of Operations Equipment Lists (KOEL) | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.A.K2d | d. Weight and balance data | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.A.K2e | e. Required inspections or tests and appropriate records and documentation (e.g., dispatch release) as applicable to the proposed flight or operation | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.A.K3 | Preventive maintenance that can be performed by the pilot or other designated crewmember. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.A.K4 | Aircraft preflight inspection, including: | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.A.K4a | a. Which items should be inspected | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.A.K4b | b. The reasons for checking each item | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.A.K4c | c. How to detect possible defects | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.A.K4d | d. The associated regulations | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.A.K5 | Environmental factors, including weather, terrain, route selection, and obstructions. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.A.K6 | Requirements for current and appropriate navigation data. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.A.K7 | Operations specifications, management specifications, or letters of authorization applying to a particular aircraft and operation, if applicable. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
Risk management elements
| ACS code | Official description | How a mock oral can probe it |
|---|---|---|
| AA.II.A.R1 | Human performance factors. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.II.A.R2 | Inoperative equipment discovered prior to flight. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.II.A.R3 | Environment (e.g., weather, airports, airspace, terrain, obstacles). | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.II.A.R4 | External pressures. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.II.A.R5 | Aviation security concerns. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
Skills elements
| ACS code | Official description | How a mock oral can probe it |
|---|---|---|
| AA.II.A.S1 | Inspect the aircraft in accordance with an appropriate checklist demonstrating proper operation of applicable airplane systems. Coordinate checklist with crew, if appropriate. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.II.A.S2 | Coordinate with ground crew and ensure adequate clearance prior to moving doors, hatches, flight control surfaces, etc. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.II.A.S3 | Document any discrepancies found; take corrective action and acknowledge limitations imposed by MEL/CDL items, if applicable. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.II.A.S4 | Determine if the aircraft is airworthy and in condition for safe flight. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.II.A.S5 | Identify and comply with operations specifications as required. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.II.A.S6 | Assess factors related to the environment (weather, airports, terrain, airspace). | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.II.A.S7 | Ensure the airplane and surfaces are free of ice, snow, and frost. If icing conditions are present, demonstrate satisfactory knowledge of deicing procedures. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
Difficulty data
Difficulty calibration is ongoing for this Task. A difficulty estimate is published only with a sufficiently large, privacy-preserving first directly recorded assessment sample. Any observed difficulty comes from Checkride AI mock-oral practice assessments and is a practice-data proxy, not an FAA practical-test pass or fail rate.
Difficulty calibration remains ongoing until an item clears the private reporting threshold. Percentages, when available, describe the share who needed review on their first directly recorded assessment. Underlying sample sizes are never published, and historical final states are not backfilled into this measure.
Official task notes
- See Appendix 3: Aircraft, Equipment, and Operational Requirements & Limitations for information related to this Task.
How to use this in a mock oral
A mock examiner can ask you to explain the published elements, apply them to the configured aircraft and airport scenario, identify risks, and defend a decision. The prompts are practice scenarios; they are not claimed to be actual FAA examiner scripts or a prediction of the questions you will receive.
Related ACS tasks
- All Airline Transport Pilot Airplane ACS tasks
48 task-level resources from FAA-S-ACS-11A.
- AA.I.H — Water and Seaplane Characteristics, Seaplane Bases, Maritime Rules, and Aids to Marine
Area of Operation I. Preflight Preparation
- AA.II.B — Powerplant Start
Area of Operation II. Preflight Procedures
- AA.II.C — Taxiing (ASEL, AMEL)
Area of Operation II. Preflight Procedures
- AA.II.D — Taxiing and Sailing (ASES, AMES)
Area of Operation II. Preflight Procedures
- AA.II.E — Before Takeoff Checks
Area of Operation II. Preflight Procedures