What documents can we refer to if something breaks in the air?

• A. AFM (Airplane Flight Manual) or QRH (Quick Reference Handbook).
• B. MEL
• C. CDL
• D. FAR

Answer: (A)

When something breaks in the air, you turn to two in-flight references that are designed for this exact situation. The Airplane Flight Manual provides the airplane-specific data you need—like limits, performance, and system descriptions—so you know what your aircraft can and cannot do in normal and abnormal conditions. The Quick Reference Handbook sits on top of that with concise, step-by-step checklists for abnormal procedures, organized by system and scenario so you can follow the correct actions quickly and safely.

The other documents have different roles. The Minimum Equipment List is mainly about what equipment may be inoperative and still allow flight from a maintenance/dispatch perspective, not the on-the-spot procedures you follow during flight. The FARs are regulatory rules, not the immediate in-flight procedures you’d use to handle a malfunction. So the best combination to refer to mid-flight is the AFM and QRH.