# CH.V.D — Steep Approach — Commercial Pilot Rotorcraft ACS

> CH.V.D from FAA-S-ACS-16, including the official objective, references, notes, and 30 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.

Canonical HTML: [https://www.check-ride.ai/acs/rotorcraft/commercial-pilot/ch-v-d](https://www.check-ride.ai/acs/rotorcraft/commercial-pilot/ch-v-d)

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

## Official Task context

- FAA document: Commercial Pilot for Rotorcraft Category Helicopter Rating Airman Certification Standards
- Identifier: FAA-S-ACS-16
- Published source date: November 2023
- Aircraft category: Rotorcraft
- Certificate or rating: Commercial Pilot
- Area of Operation: Area of Operation V. Takeoffs, Landings, and Go-Arounds
- Task: Task D. Steep Approach
- Task code prefix: CH.V.D
- Official references: AIM; FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-21, FAA-H-8083-25; POH/RFM
- 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 steep approach.

## Knowledge elements

- **CH.V.D.K1** — A stabilized steep approach.
- **CH.V.D.K2** — Approach techniques and applicability.
- **CH.V.D.K3** — Performance data and the height velocity (H/V) diagram.
- **CH.V.D.K4** — Effects of atmospheric conditions on approach and landing performance.
- **CH.V.D.K5** — Wind correction techniques.
- **CH.V.D.K6** — Aircraft performance and limitations.

## Risk management elements

- **CH.V.D.R1** — Selection of approach path and landing based on aircraft performance and limitations, and wind.
- **CH.V.D.R2** — Effects of:
- **CH.V.D.R2a** — a. Wind Direction
- **CH.V.D.R2b** — b. Windshear
- **CH.V.D.R2c** — c. Turbulence, including wake turbulence
- **CH.V.D.R3** — Planning for:
- **CH.V.D.R3a** — a. Rejected landing and go-around
- **CH.V.D.R3b** — b. Powerplant failure during the approach
- **CH.V.D.R4** — Collision hazards.
- **CH.V.D.R5** — Vortex ring state (VRS).
- **CH.V.D.R6** — Landing surface.
- **CH.V.D.R7** — Aircraft limitations.
- **CH.V.D.R8** — Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.
- **CH.V.D.R9** — Loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE).
- **CH.V.D.R10** — Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) and flat light conditions.

## Skills elements

- **CH.V.D.S1** — Complete the appropriate checklist(s).
- **CH.V.D.S2** — Make radio calls as appropriate.
- **CH.V.D.S3** — Consider the wind direction and conditions, landing surface, and obstacles.
- **CH.V.D.S4** — Select a suitable termination point.
- **CH.V.D.S5** — Establish and maintain a steep approach angle, (15° maximum) and proper rate of closure.
- **CH.V.D.S6** — Maintain proper ground track with crosswind correction, if necessary.
- **CH.V.D.S7** — Maintain powerplant and main rotor (Nr) speed within normal limits.
- **CH.V.D.S8** — Arrive at the termination point, on the surface or at a stabilized hover ±2 feet.
- **CH.V.D.S9** — 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.

## 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.