PLT297: Unusual Attitude Recovery
What code PLT297 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Unusual Attitude Recovery before your checkride.
Recall instrument procedures - unusual attitude / unusual attitude recovery
What this means for your checkride
An unusual attitude is an unintended pitch or bank, often from distraction, turbulence, or disorientation on instruments. Recovery uses the instruments: for a nose-high, low-airspeed attitude, add power, lower the nose, and level the wings; for a nose-low, high-airspeed attitude, reduce power, level the wings, then gently raise the nose.
Recovering from an unusual attitude on instruments prevents loss of control, so the FAA tests recognizing the attitude and the correct recovery sequence.
Pilots pull first in a nose-low spiral. Pulling in a diving turn tightens the spiral and overstresses the airplane; you level the wings first, then raise the nose.
Where to study it
A code on your test report is an area of deficiency. An authorized instructor must review it with you and endorse that review before you take the practical test, and the examiner may revisit it during the oral. Study it until you can explain it out loud, not just recognize the answer.