Topic · FAA Part 5
FAA Part 5: the SMS rule and its 2027 deadlines
Who 14 CFR Part 5 covers, what must be working by 28 May 2027, and how to show it.
What does FAA Part 5 require?
14 CFR Part 5 requires a safety management system with four components: safety policy, safety risk management, safety assurance and safety promotion. The 2024 final rule extended it to Part 135 operators, 91.147 air tour operators and certain Part 21 holders, with deadlines through 2027. Part 135 operators must declare compliance by 28 May 2027.
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FAA Part 5
15 articles in FAA Part 5, newest first
- FAA Part 5 vs ICAO Annex 19: One SMS Can Satisfy BothICAO Annex 19 defines safety management; 14 CFR Part 5 makes it binding US law. Where they align, where they differ, and why one SMS satisfies both.
- The Confidential Reporting System Part 5 Actually RequiresThe 2024 Part 5 revisions made a confidential employee reporting system a regulatory requirement. What it must do, and how to build a channel people trust.
- SMS Software for Business Aviation, Right-Sized for a Flight DepartmentA business aviation flight department needs SMS software light enough to use without a safety office, ready for IS-BAO and for Part 5 where charter applies.
- Part 139 Airport SMS Rule Deadlines ExplainedThe Part 139 airport SMS rule (14 CFR 139.343) is separate from the 2024 Part 5 rule. Effective 2023, deadlines staggered by criteria into 2027-2028.
- Part 21 SMS Requirements for Design and ManufacturingThe 2024 Part 5 SMS rule reaches certain Part 21 design and production approval holders: who is covered, the May 2027 deadline, and the four components.
- SMS Software for Helicopter Operators, Sized to the Rotorcraft RiskRotorcraft fly a different risk profile than fixed-wing: low, slow, confined sites, often single-pilot, external loads. What they need from SMS software.
- SMSVP to Part 5: Auditing Your Voluntary SMS Against the Final RuleBuilt an SMS under the FAA voluntary program? You are ahead, not done. What codified Part 5 adds, how to audit the gap, and how to close it without rebuilding.
- Part 5 SMS for Small and Single-Pilot Operators: Right-Sizing Without Cutting CornersThe FAA Part 5 SMS rule covers single-aircraft and single-pilot operators too. Right-size an SMS by depth, never skip a component, and avoid the manual trap.
- SMS Software for Flight Schools: What to Look ForWhy flight schools and ATOs adopt SMS, and the criteria that matter: reporting a student will use, occurrence intake, risk assessment, action tracking.
- SMS for Air Tour Operators: The 91.147 Rule and the 2027 DeadlineAir tour operators under a 91.147 LOA are inside the FAA SMS rule, with a 2027 deadline that applies regardless of size. What Part 5 asks, and how to meet it.
- How to Run a Part 5 SMS Gap Analysis in Three WeeksRun a Part 5 SMS gap analysis in two to three weeks: inventory, map to the four components, score implemented vs documented, then sequence closure by risk.
- SMS Software for Part 135 Operators: What You Need for the 2027 DeclarationWhat a small charter operator needs from SMS software for the Part 5 declaration by May 28, 2027: confidential reporting, risk, closure, evidence, FRAT.
- The Part 5 Declaration of Compliance: An Evidence ChecklistThe Part 5 declaration of compliance attests your SMS is functioning. An evidence checklist per component, who signs, and why records beat binders.
- Part 135 SMS Requirements: What Must Be Working by 2027Every Part 135 operator needs a fully implemented SMS and a filed declaration of compliance by 2027-05-28. The runway, the traps, and where software helps.
- FAA Part 5 SMS Final Rule: Requirements, Coverage, and DeadlinesThe 2024 FAA final rule revised 14 CFR Part 5 and extended a mandatory SMS to Part 135, 91.147 air tour and certain Part 21 holders. Deadlines through 2027.
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