FAA Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA)Regulations (14 CFR 61/91)Hard
A flight instructor discovers that an applicant for a commercial pilot certificate altered flight time entries in a personal logbook to meet the minimum aeronautical experience requirements. According to 14 CFR 61.59, this action provides a basis for which FAA enforcement action?
- AA civil penalty limited to $500 with no effect on certificate status
- BAutomatic downgrade of the certificate to student pilot privileges only
- CSuspension or revocation of any airman certificate, rating, or authorization held by the person
- DNo enforcement action unless the false entries were used during an actual practical test
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Suspension or revocation of any airman certificate, rating, or authorization held by the person
14 CFR 61.59 makes it a basis for suspension or revocation of any certificate, rating, or authorization for a person to make or cause to be made a fraudulent or intentionally false entry in any logbook, record, or report required by Part 61. This applies regardless of whether the entries were actually used on a practical test.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. 61.59 addresses certificate action, not a fixed civil penalty amount.
- B. There is no automatic downgrade provision; the FAA can suspend or revoke instead.
- D. The false entry itself, not just its use on a test, is the violation under 61.59.
Falsification of Records (61.59)
Prohibits fraudulent or intentionally false entries in any logbook, record, or report required to be kept under Part 61, with certificate suspension/revocation as the consequence.
- Applies to logbooks, records, and reports required by Part 61
- Basis for suspension or revocation of any certificate/rating held
- Reproduction of certificates for fraudulent purposes is also covered
Memory trick: Fake it, and you lose it — falsified logs = lost certificates.