AA.VII.D — Inflight Powerplant(s) Failure and Restart (AMEL, AMES)
AA.VII.D for the Airline Transport Pilot Airplane ACS: official objective, references, and 18 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.
FAA-S-ACS-11A, November 2023. This study page does not replace the current FAA publication or an examiner's plan of action.
Official task context
| Certificate or rating | Airline Transport Pilot |
|---|---|
| Aircraft category | Airplane |
| Area of operation | Area of Operation VII. Emergency Operations |
| Task | Task D. Inflight Powerplant(s) Failure and Restart (AMEL, AMES) |
| Task code prefix | AA.VII.D |
| Official references | FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-3, FAA-H-8083-25; POH/AFM |
| FAA document | FAA-S-ACS-11A — Airline Transport Pilot and Type Rating for Airplane Category Airman Certification Standards |
| FAA source library | Open the official ACS library |
Official task objective
To determine the applicant exhibits satisfactory knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with inflight powerplant failure and restart procedures, if applicable, in a multiengine airplane.
What the ACS code means
- AA identifies the ACS standard family used for this Airline Transport Pilot Airplane document.
- VII identifies Emergency Operations, the Area of Operation.
- D identifies Inflight Powerplant(s) Failure and Restart (AMEL, AMES), the Task within that Area.
- K, R, and S identify knowledge, risk-management, and skill elements. The number selects the item; a trailing lowercase letter identifies a listed sub-element.
Knowledge elements
| ACS code | Official description | How a mock oral can probe it |
|---|---|---|
| AA.VII.D.K1 | Flight characteristics and controllability associated with maneuvering the airplane with powerplant(s) inoperative, including the importance of drag reduction. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.VII.D.K2 | Powerplant restart procedures and conditions where a restart attempt is appropriate. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
Risk management elements
| ACS code | Official description | How a mock oral can probe it |
|---|---|---|
| AA.VII.D.R1 | Powerplant(s) failure. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.VII.D.R2 | Methods for handling a powerplant failure or a powerplant restart. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.VII.D.R3 | Diagnosis of the cause of the powerplant failure. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.VII.D.R4 | Collision hazards. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.VII.D.R5 | Configuring the airplane. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.VII.D.R6 | Factors and situations that could lead to an inadvertent stall, spin, and loss of control with an inflight powerplant failure. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.VII.D.R7 | Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
Skills elements
| ACS code | Official description | How a mock oral can probe it |
|---|---|---|
| AA.VII.D.S1 | Recognize and correctly identify powerplant(s) failure, complete memory items (if applicable), and maintain positive airplane control. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.VII.D.S2 | Coordinate with crew, if applicable, and complete the appropriate emergency procedures and checklist(s) for propeller feathering or powerplant shutdown. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.VII.D.S3 | Use flight controls in the proper combination as recommended by the manufacturer, or as required to maintain best performance, and trim as required. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.VII.D.S4 | Determine the cause for the powerplant(s) failure and if a restart is a viable option. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.VII.D.S5 | Maintain the operating powerplant(s) within acceptable operating limits. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.VII.D.S6 | Maintain airspeed ±10 knots, altitude ±100 feet, headings ±10°, as specified by the evaluator and within the airplane’s capability. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.VII.D.S7 | Consider a powerplant restart and, if appropriate, demonstrate the powerplant restart procedures in accordance with the manufacturer or operator specified procedures and checklists. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.VII.D.S8 | Select the nearest suitable airport or landing area. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.VII.D.S9 | Communicate with air traffic control (ATC) and the evaluator, as appropriate for the situation. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
Difficulty data
Difficulty calibration is ongoing for this Task. A difficulty estimate is published only with a sufficiently large, privacy-preserving first directly recorded assessment sample. Any observed difficulty comes from Checkride AI mock-oral practice assessments and is a practice-data proxy, not an FAA practical-test pass or fail rate.
Difficulty calibration remains ongoing until an item clears the private reporting threshold. Percentages, when available, describe the share who needed review on their first directly recorded assessment. Underlying sample sizes are never published, and historical final states are not backfilled into this measure.
Official task notes
- See Appendix 2: Safety of Flight and Appendix 3: Aircraft, Equipment, and Operational Requirements & Limitations for information related to this Task.
How to use this in a mock oral
A mock examiner can ask you to explain the published elements, apply them to the configured aircraft and airport scenario, identify risks, and defend a decision. The prompts are practice scenarios; they are not claimed to be actual FAA examiner scripts or a prediction of the questions you will receive.
Related ACS tasks
- All Airline Transport Pilot Airplane ACS tasks
48 task-level resources from FAA-S-ACS-11A.
- AA.VII.C — Powerplant Failure (Simulated) (ASEL, ASES)
Area of Operation VII. Emergency Operations
- AA.VII.E — Approach and Landing with a Powerplant Failure (Simulated) (AMEL, AMES)
Area of Operation VII. Emergency Operations
- AA.VII.A — Emergency Procedures
Area of Operation VII. Emergency Operations
- AA.VII.B — Powerplant Failure During Takeoff
Area of Operation VII. Emergency Operations