# AA.III.D — Glassy Water Approach and Landing (ASES, AMES) — Airline Transport Pilot Airplane ACS

> AA.III.D from FAA-S-ACS-11A, including the official objective, references, notes, and 20 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.

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

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 D. Glassy Water Approach and Landing (ASES, AMES)
- Task code prefix: AA.III.D
- Official references: FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-3, FAA-H-8083-23, FAA-H-8083-25; POH/AFM
- 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 glassy water approach and landing.

## Knowledge elements

- **AA.III.D.K1** — A stabilized approach, including energy management concepts.
- **AA.III.D.K2** — Effects of atmospheric conditions, including wind, on approach and landing performance.
- **AA.III.D.K3** — Wind correction techniques on approach and landing.
- **AA.III.D.K4** — When and why glassy water techniques are used.
- **AA.III.D.K5** — How a glassy water approach and landing is executed.

## Risk management elements

- **AA.III.D.R1** — Selection of the approach path and touchdown area based on aircraft limitations, available distance, surface conditions, and wind.
- **AA.III.D.R2** — Go-around/rejected landing.
- **AA.III.D.R3** — Collision hazards.
- **AA.III.D.R4** — Low altitude maneuvering, including stall, spin, or controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).
- **AA.III.D.R5** — Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.
- **AA.III.D.R6** — Gear position in an amphibious airplane.

## Skills elements

- **AA.III.D.S1** — Coordinate with crew, if applicable, and complete the appropriate checklist(s).
- **AA.III.D.S2** — Make radio calls as appropriate.
- **AA.III.D.S3** — Ensure that the landing gear and water rudders are retracted, if applicable.
- **AA.III.D.S4** — Consider the landing surface, visual attitude references, water depth, and collision hazards and select the proper approach and landing path.
- **AA.III.D.S5** — Establish the recommended approach and landing configuration, airspeed, and trim, and adjust pitch attitude and power as required to maintain a stabilized approach.
- **AA.III.D.S6** — Maintain a stabilized approach and recommended airspeed, ±5 knots.
- **AA.III.D.S7** — Make smooth, timely, and correct power and control adjustments to maintain proper pitch attitude and rate of descent to touchdown.
- **AA.III.D.S8** — Maintain directional control throughout the approach and landing.
- **AA.III.D.S9** — Contact the water in a proper pitch attitude, and slow to idle taxi speed.

## 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 glassy water condition does not exist, the applicant must be evaluated by simulating the Task.
- 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.