Certified Flight Instructor - Flight Instructor Airplane Practice Exam

What should a pilot do if an aircraft is in the region of reversed command during the landing approach?

1. Increase angle of attack and reduce power.

2. Decrease angle of attack and maintain power.

3. Decrease angle of attack and increase power.

4. Increase power and maintain angle of attack.

The correct answer is: Decrease angle of attack and increase power.

In the region of reversed command, the aircraft is operating in a low-speed regime where higher power settings are required to maintain altitude, contrary to typical flight scenarios where increased power results in climbing. Therefore, if a pilot is in this situation during the landing approach, decreasing the angle of attack while increasing power helps maintain control and avoid further descent or a stall. When a pilot decreases the angle of attack, the lift-generating capacity of the wings is optimized, which is crucial for steady flight at lower speeds. Increasing power in this context provides the necessary thrust to counteract any tendency for the aircraft to descend and ensures that the pilot can maintain approach speed without losing lift. This balance of power and angle of attack is essential to safely navigate through the challenges presented by reversed command conditions. In contrast, increasing the angle of attack while reducing power would likely lead to an undesired descent or even stall, which can be especially dangerous during a landing approach. Similarly, maintaining a power setting without adjusting the angle appropriately can lead to an unstable flight condition. Thus, the correct strategy in this scenario is to decrease angle of attack and increase power, allowing for safe control of the aircraft during landing.