Checkride

When it comes to emergency descents, most pilots think of high-flying jet aircraft forced into a “high dive” because of a blown-out window or door or a faulty pressurization system. But in reality, small, unpressurized general aviation aircraft might need to accomplish a similar emergency descent, although perhaps for different reasons. In fact, while the potential has always existed, the FAA is emphasizing this point by making the emergency descent a new checkride task for private and commercial pilot applicants. Although a real emergency requiring an emergency

Descent may never happen (if you’re lucky) throughout your entire flying career, knowing when and how to accomplish this time-critical task is something that needs to be considered and practiced before one is actually needed.

The first thing to consider is what scenarios might dictate an emergency descent. Besides the obvious depressurization problems, the more realistic GA triggers might be a cabin or engine fire; smoke in the cabin; acute physiological problems with a passenger or crewmember; or anything that makes getting the airplane on the ground—now—a very high priority (see “Doctor NRST,” page 32). Once any of these conditions are encountered, the next step is to initiate the appropriate emergency descent without wasting precious seconds.

What is appropriate? Depending on the situation, you can choose from two types of emergency descent methods: high speed or low speed. A high-speed descent, just below the red line (VNE) airspeed, might be more desirable as a possible means of extinguishing an engine or wing fire during the descent, for example.

But remember, the high-speed dive places significantly more stress on the airframe, so this fact should also be considered. Alternatively, a low-speed, high-drag profile might be more desirable, especially where an immediate landing is being planned at the conclusion of the descent, say for a medical emergency above an airport you happen to be flying over, or perhaps for an uncontrollable fire or smoke inside the cabin. Whatever method is selected, the primary objective remains the same: maximum rate of descent while observing all airframe, engine, landing gear, and flap operating limitations.

The fact that this procedure is typically triggered by an emergency bears repeating because very often, especially during training or testing, it is easy to forget that fact. The result is an emergency procedure that is carried out in a less-than-timely, or even lackadaisical, unrealistic manner. The first indication of this during checkrides is when an applicant delays the initiation of the emergency descent as though timeliness was not a factor. Another dangerous mind-set might result from students being trained to accomplish emergency descents with partial-power still applied (to save the engine), or by extending less than full flaps (to save the flaps). Yes, I’m all for saving the equipment, too. However, not practicing the emergency descent maneuver properly to reduce wear and tear would be like not teaching landings to save the tires. The solution: Accomplish the emergency descent correctly, but keep the emergency descent training and testing as brief as possible without diluting the serious nature of this important maneuver. Do this by limiting the practice of the maneuver to what’s necessary to establish and stabilize the descent profile, perhaps descending only 500 to 1,000 feet before recovering to straight and level flight.

While initiating the descent, as power is being reduced to idle, roll into a 30- to 45-degree bank to permit the nose attitude to be lowered more quickly without inducing negative G-load (weightlessness). In aircraft with constant-speed propellers, advancing to high rpm (prop control—full forward) will increase the overall drag, thereby increasing the descent rate.

And since your main objective is to maximize your descent rate, consider a forward slip as an added drag-producing measure while making sure that, as appropriate, the never-exceed red-line airspeed (VNE), or other maximum operating airspeeds (flaps-VFE and/or landing gear-VLE) are not exceeded.

Accomplishing all of this during a real emergency can be extremely challenging and requires a pilot to be fully prepared to, and knowledgeable in, performing this maneuver. The ability to do this requires a division of attention that would not be possible without sufficient quality practice. Besides getting you successfully through your checkride, having this task down cold could someday even become a lifesaver!

Bob Schmelzer is a Chicago-area designated pilot examiner, a United Airlines captain, and Boeing 777 line check airman.