Which item is included in the empty weight of an aircraft?

• A. Unusable fuel and undrainable oil
• B. Usable fuel
• C. Payload
• D. Passenger seating area

Answer: (A)

The weight concept being tested is what items are counted in the aircraft’s empty weight. Empty weight is the mass of the airplane with all permanently installed equipment and fluids that are fixed to the airframe, but without any payload or usable fuel. Because some liquids can’t be fully drained or burned, they remain part of the aircraft regardless of flight planning. Unusable fuel and undrainable oil fall into this category, so their weight is included in empty weight.

Usable fuel isn’t part of empty weight because it’s the fuel you plan to burn during flight and is considered part of the fuel load (a usable resource, not a permanent fixture). Payload refers to people and cargo you intend to carry, which is not part of empty weight but is the useful load. The idea of a passenger seating area isn’t a separate weight item in this context; the seats themselves would be considered fixed equipment, but the example focuses on the liquids that must be included in empty weight.