14 CFR § 129.20 - Digital flight data recorders.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t14/s129.20"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "14 CFR § 129.20 - Digital flight data recorders."
title_number: 14
title_name: "Aeronautics and Space"
section_number: "129.20"
section_name: "Digital flight data recorders."
chapter_name: "FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION"
subchapter_number: "G"
subchapter_name: "AIR CARRIERS AND OPERATORS FOR COMPENSATION OR HIRE: CERTIFICATION AND OPERATIONS"
part_number: "129"
part_name: "OPERATIONS: FOREIGN AIR CARRIERS AND FOREIGN OPERATORS OF U.S.-REGISTERED AIRCRAFT ENGAGED IN COMMON CARRIAGE"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "49 U.S.C. 1372, 40113, 40119, 44101, 44701-44702, 44705, 44709-44711, 44713, 44716-44717, 44722, 44901-44904, 44906, 44912, 46105, Pub. L. 107-71 sec. 104."
regulatory_source: "Docket 1994, 29 FR 1720, Feb. 5, 1964, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "129"
---


# 129.20 Digital flight data recorders.

No person may operate an aircraft under this part that is registered in the United States unless it is equipped with one or more approved flight recorders that use a digital method of recording and storing data and a method of readily retrieving that data from the storage medium. The flight data recorder must record the parameters that would be required to be recorded if the aircraft were operated under part 121, 125, or 135 of this chapter, and must be installed by the compliance times required by those parts, as applicable to the aircraft.

[Docket 28109, 62 FR 38396, July 17, 1997]