# AA.III.B — Normal Approach and Landing — Airline Transport Pilot Airplane ACS

> AA.III.B from FAA-S-ACS-11A, including the official objective, references, notes, and 26 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.

Canonical HTML: [https://www.check-ride.ai/acs/airplane/airline-transport-pilot/aa-iii-b](https://www.check-ride.ai/acs/airplane/airline-transport-pilot/aa-iii-b)

Site reference: [https://www.check-ride.ai/llms.txt](https://www.check-ride.ai/llms.txt)

## Official Task context

- FAA document: Airline Transport Pilot and Type Rating for Airplane Category Airman Certification Standards
- Identifier: FAA-S-ACS-11A
- Published source date: November 2023
- Aircraft category: Airplane
- Certificate or rating: Airline Transport Pilot
- Area of Operation: Area of Operation III. Takeoffs and Landings
- Task: Task B. Normal Approach and Landing
- Task code prefix: AA.III.B
- Official references: AIM; FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-3, FAA-H-8083-23, FAA-H-8083-25; POH/AFM; SAFO 17010, SAFO 19001
- FAA source library: https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/acs

## Official Task objective

To determine the applicant exhibits satisfactory knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with a normal approach and landing.

## Knowledge elements

- **AA.III.B.K1** — A stabilized approach, including energy management concepts.
- **AA.III.B.K2** — Effects of atmospheric conditions, including wind, on approach and landing performance.
- **AA.III.B.K3** — Wind correction techniques on approach and landing.
- **AA.III.B.K4** — Runway markings and lighting.

## Risk management elements

- **AA.III.B.R1** — Selection of a runway or approach path and touchdown area based on aircraft limitations, available distance, surface conditions, and wind.
- **AA.III.B.R2** — Wake turbulence.
- **AA.III.B.R3** — Go-around/rejected landing.
- **AA.III.B.R4** — Land and hold short operations (LAHSO).
- **AA.III.B.R5** — Collision hazards.
- **AA.III.B.R6** — Low altitude maneuvering, including stall, spin, or controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).
- **AA.III.B.R7** — Distractions, loss of situational awareness, incorrect airport surface approach and landing, or improper task management.

## Skills elements

- **AA.III.B.S1** — Coordinate with crew, if applicable, and complete the appropriate checklist(s).
- **AA.III.B.S2** — Make radio calls as appropriate.
- **AA.III.B.S3** — Maintain a ground track that ensures the desired traffic pattern flown takes into consideration obstructions and air traffic control (ATC) or evaluator instructions.
- **AA.III.B.S4** — Ensure the airplane is aligned with the correct/assigned runway or landing surface.
- **AA.III.B.S5** — Scan the runway or landing surface and adjoining area for traffic and obstructions.
- **AA.III.B.S6** — Select a suitable touchdown point considering wind, landing surface, and obstructions.
- **AA.III.B.S7** — Establish the recommended approach and landing configuration and airspeed, ±5 knots, and adjust pitch attitude and power as required to maintain a stabilized approach.
- **AA.III.B.S8** — Maintain directional control and appropriate crosswind correction throughout the approach and landing.
- **AA.III.B.S9** — Make smooth, timely, and correct control application before, during, and after touchdown.
- **AA.III.B.S10** — Touch down with the runway centerline between the main landing gear at the appropriate speed and pitch attitude at the runway aiming point markings -250/+500 feet, or where there are no runway markings 750 to 1,500 feet from the approach threshold of the runway (ASEL, AMEL).
- **AA.III.B.S11** — During round out and touchdown contact the water at the proper pitch attitude within 200 feet beyond a specified point (ASES, AMES). In addition, for AMES, the touchdown is within the first one-third of the water landing area.
- **AA.III.B.S12** — Decelerate to taxi speed (20 knots or less on dry pavement, 10 knots or less on contaminated pavement) to within the calculated landing distance plus 25% for the actual conditions with the runway centerline between the main landing gear (At least one landing) (ASEL, AMEL).
- **AA.III.B.S13** — Use spoilers, prop reverse, thrust reverse, wheel brakes, and other drag/braking devices, as appropriate to safely slow the airplane. (At least one landing to a full stop).
- **AA.III.B.S14** — Execute a timely go-around if the approach cannot be made within the tolerances specified above or for any other condition that may result in an unsafe approach or landing.
- **AA.III.B.S15** — Use runway incursion avoidance procedures, if applicable.

## Difficulty methodology

Difficulty calibration is ongoing for this Task. Observed difficulty is a privacy-thresholded check-ride.ai mock-oral practice proxy, not an FAA practical-test pass or fail rate. Underlying sample sizes and the private reporting threshold are not published.

## Official Task notes

- If a crosswind condition does not exist, the applicant’s knowledge of crosswind elements must be evaluated through oral testing.
- See Appendix 3: Aircraft, Equipment, and Operational Requirements & Limitations for information related to this Task.

## Use in practice

A mock examiner can ask a pilot to explain the published elements, apply them to the configured aircraft and airport context, identify risks, and defend a decision. Practice prompts are not represented as actual FAA examiner scripts or predictions of the questions a candidate will receive.