How to: Emergency Descent
The emergency descent is a maneuver designed to allow an aircraft to descend as rapidly as possible to a lower altitude or to the ground to make an emergency landing. During the emergency descent you will be making a descending 90 degree turn with the goal of quickly and safely losing as much altitude as possible while maintaining a safe air speed and control of the aircraft. As with most other maneuvers, there are three main elements that you as a pilot should concentrate on, directional control, altitude control and airspeed control.
Before you begin the maneuver it is important to find a visual reference 90 degrees from your starting heading. As you start the emergency descent you will roll towards your reference point in a coordinated 30 to 45 degree bank. This bank angle will help you maintain a positive glad on the airplane as you begin the descent. Once the initial turn is complete and the airplane is pointing towards your reference begin a series of shallow S turns in order to clear the area for traffic as you continue the descent. As you begin the level off, stop your turns and keep the airplane tracking towards your visual reference. Remember to use your rudder to maintain coordination through each turn in the maneuver.
During the emergency descent you will be losing altitude rapidly so it is important to remain aware of your rate of descent and target altitude throughout the maneuver. Also, in order to prevent cooling the engine too rapidly, you should not descend more than 2 thousand feet during the emergency descent as you begin the maneuver by reducing the power to idle and rolling the airplane simultaneously. Apply forward pressure on the yoke to begin lowering the nose as you continue the roll, lower the nose to a pitch attitude of approximately 12 to 15 degrees nose low to establish an indicated airspeed of 100 and 24 knots. As you approach your target altitude, begin leveling the airplane off when at ten percent of your vertical speed above that altitude. As you reach your desired altitude slowly, begin to increase the power to your cruise setting and retrim the airplane for level flight.
Your target speed during this maneuver should be 100 and 24 knots. Depending upon the nature of the emergency and current conditions, you may need to adjust your speed. In the case of an engine fire, a higher speed descent could blow out the fire so you could potentially push the airplane up to vine never exceed speed. Since you are descending at no-power, you will have to make small adjustments to your pitch attitude to maintain your airspeed. If you are too fast, raise the nose slightly to slow the airplane down. If you are too slow, lower the nose slightly to speed the airplane up.
Choose a visual reference point off of the wingtip and be sure that there is a suitable emergency landing site in the direction of that reference. Reduced the throttle to idle when rolling into a coordinated 30 to 45 degree bank turn in the direction of the visual reference point. As you roll into the turn, reduce elevator back pressure to allow the nose to lower for 100 and 24 knots indicated airspeed, which is approximately 12 to 15 degrees noses down pitch. Begin to roll out on the visual reference point and make shallow S. Turns to look for traffic below and ahead of the airplane.
Continue to maintain 100 and 24 knots through the shallow S turns approaching the target altitude approximately ten percent of your VSI above level the wings and begin to smoothly increase elevator back pressure to start the level off at the target altitude. Adjust the pitch for level flight set cruise power trim is necessary and complete a cruise checklist.
The emergency descent is a maneuver designed to allow an aircraft to descend as rapidly as possible to a lower altitude or to the ground to make an emergency landing. During the emergency descent you will be making a descending 90 degree turn with the goal of quickly and safely losing as much altitude as possible while maintaining a safe air speed and control of the aircraft. As with most other maneuvers, there are three main elements that you as a pilot should concentrate on, directional control, altitude control and airspeed control.
Before you begin the maneuver it is important to find a visual reference 90 degrees from your starting heading. As you start the emergency descent you will roll towards your reference point in a coordinated 30 to 45 degree bank. This bank angle will help you maintain a positive glad on the airplane as you begin the descent. Once the initial turn is complete and the airplane is pointing towards your reference begin a series of shallow S turns in order to clear the area for traffic as you continue the descent. As you begin the level off, stop your turns and keep the airplane tracking towards your visual reference. Remember to use your rudder to maintain coordination through each turn in the maneuver.
During the emergency descent you will be losing altitude rapidly so it is important to remain aware of your rate of descent and target altitude throughout the maneuver. Also, in order to prevent cooling the engine too rapidly, you should not descend more than 2 thousand feet during the emergency descent as you begin the maneuver by reducing the power to idle and rolling the airplane simultaneously. Apply forward pressure on the yoke to begin lowering the nose as you continue the roll, lower the nose to a pitch attitude of approximately 12 to 15 degrees nose low to establish an indicated airspeed of 100 and 24 knots. As you approach your target altitude, begin leveling the airplane off when at ten percent of your vertical speed above that altitude. As you reach your desired altitude slowly, begin to increase the power to your cruise setting and retrim the airplane for level flight.
Your target speed during this maneuver should be 100 and 24 knots. Depending upon the nature of the emergency and current conditions, you may need to adjust your speed. In the case of an engine fire, a higher speed descent could blow out the fire so you could potentially push the airplane up to vine never exceed speed. Since you are descending at no-power, you will have to make small adjustments to your pitch attitude to maintain your airspeed. If you are too fast, raise the nose slightly to slow the airplane down. If you are too slow, lower the nose slightly to speed the airplane up.
Choose a visual reference point off of the wingtip and be sure that there is a suitable emergency landing site in the direction of that reference. Reduced the throttle to idle when rolling into a coordinated 30 to 45 degree bank turn in the direction of the visual reference point. As you roll into the turn, reduce elevator back pressure to allow the nose to lower for 100 and 24 knots indicated airspeed, which is approximately 12 to 15 degrees noses down pitch. Begin to roll out on the visual reference point and make shallow S. Turns to look for traffic below and ahead of the airplane.
Continue to maintain 100 and 24 knots through the shallow S turns approaching the target altitude approximately ten percent of your VSI above level the wings and begin to smoothly increase elevator back pressure to start the level off at the target altitude. Adjust the pitch for level flight set cruise power trim is necessary and complete a cruise checklist.