How quickly can a plane descend?

It depends on the altitude the plane was flying at when the depressurization occurred. Airliners can descend over 8,000 feet per minutes if needed. A descent from 35,000 feet at that rate would have you down to 11,000 feet in 3 minutes or less.

How fast do commercial airplanes descend?

Most airplanes will get down in around 4 minutes to 10,000 FT MSL from their maximum operating altitude.

How fast can a 747 descend?

This means you should begin your descent 105 nautical miles from your destination, maintaining a speed of 250 KIAS (about 45 percent N1) and a descent rate of 1,500 to 2,000 feet per minute, with thrust set at idle.

Can planes suddenly drop?

When an aircraft experiences turbulence, the plane can drop or change altitude suddenly. This is why pilots always caution passengers to buckle up and stay seated when they are experiencing flight turbulence. The sudden movements put passengers at risk.

What is standard rate of descent?

Descend at the optimum rate for the aircraft being flown until 1,000 feet above the assigned altitude, then descend at a rate between 500 and 1,500 fpm to the assigned altitude. If at any time, other than when slowing to 250 KIAS at 10,000 feet MSL, the pilot cannot descend at a rate of at least 500 fpm, advise ATC.

How does a PILOT KNOW when to DESCEND? Descent planning explained by CAPTAIN JOE

Can you feel a plane descending?

Answer: The sensation of slowing down is really one of slowing the rate of acceleration; this is due to reducing the thrust after takeoff to the climb setting. The sensation of “dropping” comes from the retraction of the flaps and slats. The rate of climb is reduced, causing it to feel like a descent.

What is the 1 2 3 rule in aviation?

You need to name an alternate airport on your IFR flight plan if, for the period of time one hour before and one hour after your estimated time of arrival, the weather is forecast to include a ceiling of 2,000 feet agl and/or visibilities less than three statute miles (the 1-2-3 rule).

How rare is it for a plane to go down?

Of these 24 million hours, 6.84 of every 100,000 flight hours yielded an airplane crash, and 1.19 of every 100,000 yielded a fatal crash. This is down from an all-time high of 9.08 accidents per 100,000 hours in 1994.

What is the fear of plane crash?

"Aerophobia essentially is an anxiety disorder – usually combined with claustrophobia or fear of heights. Incidents of an airplane crash, terrorist attack, or minor accidents trigger excessive situation phobia.

How rare is a plane crashing?

For every 1,000,000 miles you travel in a car, statistically, you can expect to be in about 4.5 crashes. For every 100,000 flights you take on a US Carrier (i.e. Delta, United, American, etc.), statistically, you can expect to be involved in about 1.05 accidents.

What happens if a plane descends too fast?

If you try to land a plane too fast, it will immediately take off again. It is called porpoising and there is nothing the pilot can do about it - it is a matter of physics. You run the risk of landing gear damage and or running out of runway to stop, and having to do a touch and go.

Do planes still break the sound barrier?

Flying faster than sound

Supersonic flight was first achieved in 1947 with a US military prototype Bell X-1 aircraft. It has since become common in military aircraft, but only the two commercial aircraft mentioned above have ever managed it.

What happens if a plane loses cabin pressure?

Without cabin pressurization or supplemental oxygen to breathe at such altitudes, flight crews and passengers would quickly be overcome by hypoxia — oxygen starvation — followed rapidly by unconsciousness. Death would occur soon afterward.

How do pilots know how fast to descend?

Question: How do pilots know when to descend to land on the assigned runway at the correct speed? Answer: Pilots plan the descent based on the wind and air traffic flow. Working in partnership with air traffic control, the descent is executed allowing adequate distance to descend and line up with the proper runway.

Why do planes slow down mid flight?

Why do planes slow down mid flight? Planes slow down because of drag. Once power is reduced, drag is greater than thrust and causes the plane to slow down.

Why do commercial planes fly low sometimes?

altitudes, trading fuel efficiency for on-time arrivals.

Do pilots ever get scared?

Pilots are trained to handle all sorts of nerve-racking situations, but that doesn't mean that they don't get scared—especially in these real instances, told by the pilots who experienced them, of serious in-flight fear.

What kills you in a plane crash?

In many crashes the aircraft structure collapses and the individual is injured by impact with the airframe. These injuries can include amputations, major lacerations and crushing. When the structure collapses, the victims may become trapped within the wreckage and die of fire, drowning or traumatic asphyxia.

Do planes ever go down because of turbulence?

The short answer is no, and rest assured that the pilots know how uncomfortable turbulence can make passengers feel. And know that no aircraft has ever crashed because of turbulence. "Turbulence has not caused an airplane to crash," Biddle said.

Where is the weakest part of a plane?

According to the report, the middle seat in the back of the aircraft (the rear of the aircraft) had the best position with just 28% fatality rate. In fact, the worst part to sit in is actually on the aisle of the middle third of the cabin as it comes at a 44% fatality rate.

How survivable is a plane crash?

According to a study by the European Transport Safety Council, plane crashes technically have a 90% survivability rate, and this figure is increasing, largely thanks to modern aircraft design, which features enough exits to allow for a full passenger evacuation in around 90 seconds.

What is the golden rule in aviation?

number one priority in any event. and at all times is to fly the aircraft; this is the first Golden Rule. Tasksharing should be adapted to. the prevailing situation (i.e. task-

What are the 3 C's in aviation?

Hickox: The three C's pertain to cockpit, cabin, and crew, aligned with the three main domains on board the aircraft.

What is the 3 6 descent rule?

For larger aircraft, typically people use some form of the 3/6 Rule: 3 times the altitude (in thousands of feet) you have to lose is the distance back to start the descent; 6 times your groundspeed is your descent rate.