# AI.XII.A — Emergency Descent — Flight Instructor Airplane ACS

> AI.XII.A from FAA-S-ACS-25, including the official objective, references, notes, and 17 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.

Canonical HTML: [https://www.check-ride.ai/acs/airplane/flight-instructor/ai-xii-a](https://www.check-ride.ai/acs/airplane/flight-instructor/ai-xii-a)

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

## Official Task context

- FAA document: Flight Instructor for Airplane Category Airman Certification Standards
- Identifier: FAA-S-ACS-25
- Published source date: November 2023
- Aircraft category: Airplane
- Certificate or rating: Flight Instructor
- Area of Operation: Area of Operation XII. Emergency Operations
- Task: Task A. Emergency Descent
- Task code prefix: AI.XII.A
- Official references: FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-3, FAA-H-8083-9, 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 understands emergency descent, can apply that knowledge, manage associated risks, demonstrate appropriate skills, and provide effective instruction.

## Knowledge elements

- **AI.XII.A.K1** — Purpose of and procedures for emergency descent.
- **AI.XII.A.K2** — Situations that would require an emergency descent (e.g., depressurization, smoke, or engine fire).
- **AI.XII.A.K3** — Immediate action items and emergency procedures.
- **AI.XII.A.K4** — Aircraft performance and limitations.
- **AI.XII.A.K5** — Airspeed, including airspeed limitations.
- **AI.XII.A.K6** — Common errors related to this Task.

## Risk management elements

- **AI.XII.A.R1** — Altitude, wind, terrain, obstructions, gliding distance, and available landing distance considerations.
- **AI.XII.A.R2** — Collision hazards.
- **AI.XII.A.R3** — Configuring the airplane.
- **AI.XII.A.R4** — Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.

## Skills elements

- **AI.XII.A.S1** — Clear the area.
- **AI.XII.A.S2** — Establish and maintain the appropriate airspeed and configuration appropriate to the scenario specified by the evaluator and as covered in Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH)/Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) for the emergency descent.
- **AI.XII.A.S3** — Maintain orientation, divide attention appropriately, and plan and execute a smooth recovery.
- **AI.XII.A.S4** — Use bank angle between 30° and 45° to maintain positive load factors during the descent.
- **AI.XII.A.S5** — Maintain appropriate airspeed +0/-10 knots, and level off at a specified altitude ±100 feet.
- **AI.XII.A.S6** — Complete the appropriate checklist(s).
- **AI.XII.A.S7** — Analyze and correct common errors related to this Task.

## 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

- See Appendix 2: Safety of Flight.

## 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.