Prepare for: Emergency Descent
Losing altitude as fast as safely possible, for a fire, smoke or medical problem.
Your CFI's syllabus and your airplane's POH come first. This page is a general study aid to help you show up prepared.
What you'll do
- Clear the area below; reduce power to idle.
- Configure per the POH (some allow gear and flaps down below their limit speeds).
- Roll into a 30–45° bank to keep positive load factor and see below, and lower the nose.
- Hold the POH emergency descent speed (+0/-10 knots) and level off at the specified altitude ±100 ft.
The standard you'll be held to
Quoted from the current FAA Airman Certification Standards for each level that tests this.
Private Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-6C)Task PA.IX.A · Emergency Descent
- Clear the area.
- Establish and maintain the appropriate airspeed and configuration appropriate to the scenario specified by the evaluator and as covered in Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH)/Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) for the emergency descent.
- Maintain orientation, divide attention appropriately, and plan and execute a smooth recovery.
- Use bank angle between 30° and 45° to maintain positive load factors during the descent.
- Maintain appropriate airspeed +0/-10 knots, and level off at a specified altitude ±100 feet.
- Complete the appropriate checklist(s).
- Make radio calls as appropriate.
- Use single-pilot resource management (SRM) or crew resource management (CRM), as appropriate.
Read it in the FAA handbooks
The official chapters behind this page. Each link opens the exact chapter, free on faa.gov. See the full Study Library.
Prepare the night before
- Look up the POH emergency descent procedure and speed limits.
- Know when you'd use it (fire, smoke, incapacitation).
Common mistakes
- Exceeding VNE or flap/gear limit speeds.
- Forgetting to look for traffic below.
Questions to ask your instructor
- What scenario will you give me?
- What speed should I target in this airplane?
Related lessons
Check yourself
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