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2 Answers

Emergency Descents

Asked by: 66 views Flight Instructor

While brushing up on emergency descents, from all resources (textbook, POH, YouTube, online ground schools), I can’t seem to find anything documented or at least favored when it comes to performing such maneuver at either a constant bank of 30-45 degrees in the form of a spiral, the descending turns from left to right while maintaining a constant airspeed, or a straight dive (for lack of better term) down to the deck at a constant speed. I recognize that the nature of the emergency has a factor (engine fire, wing fire, cabin smoke). However, I have yet to find any cited references, even from the FAA airplane flying handbook, that dictates the course the maneuver (spirals, left to right, or dive). Am I digging too deep in this? Is this just a case by case? Or someone’s (or CFI’s) go-to preference? Any and all views and opinions would be helpful! 

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2 Answers



  1. Mark Kolber on Jan 14, 2025

    I’m not sure I understand the question, I think

    “ Use bank angle between 30° and 45° to maintain positive load factors during the descent.”

    In the ACS is pretty clear, even if the AFH only talks about it iin terms of the initiation of the maneuver.

    In terms of preference, I think most CFIs and Examiners will look at it as a spiral down over a point for various reasons including the need to watch for traffic below. Many will do it ivermectin a runway to watch it convert to a power off landing,

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  2. John D Collins on Jan 14, 2025

    The Bonanza has a POH emergency descent procedure that works very well and does not involve banking the aircraft. My point is that the emergency descent procedure may be aircraft specific. Different models of Bonanza have variations, but they all involve lowering the landing gear and descending at the maximum gear extension speed. In my Bonanza, this gives about 6000 feet per minute.

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