CH.VIII.D — Systems and Equipment Malfunctions
CH.VIII.D for the Commercial Pilot Rotorcraft ACS: official objective, references, and 18 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.
FAA-S-ACS-16, 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 | Commercial Pilot |
|---|---|
| Aircraft category | Rotorcraft |
| Area of operation | Area of Operation VIII. Emergency Operations |
| Task | Task D. Systems and Equipment Malfunctions |
| Task code prefix | CH.VIII.D |
| Official references | AIM; FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-21, FAA-H-8083-25 |
| FAA document | FAA-S-ACS-16 — Commercial Pilot for Rotorcraft Category Helicopter Rating 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 causes, indications, and pilot actions for system malfunctions.
What the ACS code means
- CH identifies the ACS standard family used for this Commercial Pilot Rotorcraft document.
- VIII identifies Emergency Operations, the Area of Operation.
- D identifies Systems and Equipment Malfunctions, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| CH.VIII.D.K1 | Causes of partial or complete power loss related to the specific type of powerplant(s). | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| CH.VIII.D.K2 | System and equipment malfunctions specific to the helicopter, including: | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| CH.VIII.D.K2a | a. Electrical malfunction | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| CH.VIII.D.K2b | b. Flight instrument malfunctions | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| CH.VIII.D.K2c | c. Pitot-static system malfunction | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| CH.VIII.D.K2d | d. Electronic flight deck display malfunction | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| CH.VIII.D.K2e | e. Landing gear malfunctions | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| CH.VIII.D.K2f | f. Inoperative flight control/trim | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| CH.VIII.D.K2g | g. Hydraulic failure, if applicable | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| CH.VIII.D.K3 | Various frequency vibrations and the possible components that may be affected. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| CH.VIII.D.K4 | Causes and remedies for smoke or fire onboard the aircraft. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| CH.VIII.D.K5 | Any other system malfunction specific to the helicopter flown. | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| CH.VIII.D.R1 | Startle response. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| CH.VIII.D.R2 | Checklist usage for a system or equipment malfunction. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| CH.VIII.D.R3 | 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. |
| CH.VIII.D.R4 | Undesired aircraft state. | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| CH.VIII.D.S1 | Determine appropriate action for simulated emergencies specified by the evaluator, from at least three of the elements or sub-elements listed in K1 through K5. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| CH.VIII.D.S2 | Complete the appropriate checklist(s). | 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.
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 Commercial Pilot Rotorcraft ACS tasks
51 task-level resources from FAA-S-ACS-16.
- CH.VIII.C — Approach and Landing with One Engine Inoperative (OEI) (Simulated) (Multiengine Helicopter Only)
Area of Operation VIII. Emergency Operations
- CH.VIII.E — Vortex Ring State (VRS)
Area of Operation VIII. Emergency Operations
- CH.VIII.A — Powerplant Failure in a Hover in a Single-Engine Helicopter
Area of Operation VIII. Emergency Operations
- CH.VIII.B — Powerplant Failure at Altitude in a Single-Engine Helicopter
Area of Operation VIII. Emergency Operations