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The FAA publishes Information for Operators documents giving:

valuable information for operators that should help them meet certain administrative, regulatory, or operational requirements with relatively low urgency or impact on safety.

Some of these documents seem to offer interpretations on regulatory matters, and are sometimes cited as such. In some cases, these interpretations may provide permission to operate more freely. However, I could imagine that in the case of others, the interpretations may prove to be more restrictive and burdensome than a plain reading of the regulations.

What regulatory or legal weight do do these InFO publications carry, if any? Since these notices are directed at certified operators, does the answer vary depending on the audience?

Community
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J W
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    I don't think they carry any regulatory weight, they are not themselves regulations. As for the interpretations, if they are written by the FAA then they could be used in court to argue in favor of somebody who used that interpretation since it was written in a published manner. However if it is not written by an authorized person at the FAA, then it may not hold up in court. This may be a better question on law.se. – Ron Beyer Oct 24 '16 at 13:21

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An InFO (Information For Operators) document is an informational document containing recommendations. Quoting directly from FAA Order 8000.91:

Much like a Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO), which contains critical safety information, an Information for Operators (INFO) message contains valuable information for operators that should help them meet administrative requirements or certain regulatory requirements with relatively low urgency or impact in safety. INFOs contain information or a combination of information and recommended action to be taken by the respective operators identified in each individual INFO.

They are not regulatory changes/obligations (like ADs) or formal notices of violation (administrative actions) - they're just a "friendly hint" that the FAA is concerned about something and would like operators to be aware of it and take action if the operator's analysis determines it to be necessary.
If the situation addressed in an InFO or SAFO document doesn't improve it may wind up prompting a regulatory change.

The InFO and SAFO programs are very similar, so FAA Order 8000.87A covering the SAFO program may also be of interest.

voretaq7
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    Note that while the actions and recommendations identified in a SAFO or INFO document are voluntary their legal weight goes beyond what's provided for in the regulations: If an operator receives a SAFO or INFO notice that's applicable to their operation and ignores the recommendations they may leave themselves open to civil action (negligence or the like) if something goes wrong. Consult your attorney before shredding, etc. – voretaq7 Oct 24 '16 at 17:38