Instrument Rating · Area IV: Flight by Reference to Instruments

Task B. Recovery from Unusual Flight Attitudes

FAA-S-ACS-8C · Effective 2024-05-31

Knowledge

What you should understand and be able to explain.

4 elements
  • IR.IV.B.K1
    Procedures for recovery from unusual attitudes in flight.
  • IR.IV.B.K2
    Prevention of unusual attitudes, including flight causal, physiological, and environmental factors, and system and equipment failures.
  • IR.IV.B.K3
    Procedures available to safely regain visual meteorological conditions (VMC) after flight into inadvertent instrument meteorological conditions or unintended instrument meteorological conditions (IIMC)/(UIMC).
  • IR.IV.B.K4
    Appropriate use of automation, if applicable.

Risk management

Risks to recognize and decisions to consider.

8 elements
  • IR.IV.B.R1
    Situations that could lead to loss of control in-flight (LOC-I) or unusual attitudes in-flight (e.g., stress, task saturation, inadequate instrument scan distractions, and spatial disorientation).
  • IR.IV.B.R3
    Operating envelope considerations.
  • IR.IV.B.R4
    Interpreting flight instruments.
  • IR.IV.B.R5
    Assessment of the unusual attitude.
  • IR.IV.B.R6
    Control input errors, inducing undesired aircraft attitudes.
  • IR.IV.B.R7
    Control application solely by reference to instruments.
  • IR.IV.B.R8
    Collision hazards.
  • IR.IV.B.R9
    Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.
Skill elements and task objectives

This page covers knowledge and risk management. For the complete task, including skill standards, open the FAA document (PDF).