Unusual attitude recovery by instruments
An unusual attitude on instruments is any rate or direction of instrument movement that doesn't match a normal instrument manoeuvre.
- On seeing one: speed up cross-check to confirm, get back to straight-and-level.
- Cause doesn't matter yet. Senses can't be trusted.
- Causes: turbulence, disorientation, preoccupation with cockpit duties, incorrect scan technique, errors in instrument interpretation, instrument malfunction (TP 1102).
Recognition (before trusting the attitude indicator):
| Attitude | Altimeter | VSI | Airspeed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nose-up | Trending up | Trending up | Falling |
| Nose-down | Unwinding | Unwinding | Rising |
Recovery instruments: ASI, turn co-ordinator/turn-and-bank, altimeter, VSI.
- Extreme attitudes: attitude indicator (AI) can be unreliable. Exclude it until stabilized.
| Step | Nose-down | Nose-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reduce power | Increase power |
| 2 | Level wings (co-ordinated aileron/rudder, centre needle and ball) | Simultaneously apply forward elevator to prevent a stall |
| 3 | Apply smooth back elevator | Level wings (co-ordinated aileron/rudder, centre needle and ball) |
| 4 | Stop back pressure when airspeed stops increasing | Stop forward pressure when airspeed stops decreasing |
During and after recovery:
- Initial inputs can be large: keep cross-check fast to catch overcontrolling.
- Needles stopping: near cruise attitude.
- Needles reversing: flew through it.
- Performance instruments stabilized: check AI function before returning it to the scan (faulty AI may have caused the upset).
- Keep ball centred throughout: skid or slip sensations worsen disorientation, delay recovery.
- After recovery: keep cross-check fast to avoid a secondary unusual attitude. Climb or descend to a safe altitude.
Trap: trusting the AI mid-recovery; in an extreme attitude it can be unreliable, even the cause of the upset.
References
- TP 1102 Instrument Flying: Unusual Attitudes and Recoveries, Recognition, Recovery, Procedure for Recovery from Unusual Attitudes