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An aircraft is on the approach to land on runway 24. The pilot is maintaining 65 kts when the aircraft suddenly encounters horizontal wind shear with a strong gust and a change in the prevailing wind from 250/10 to 070/05 for a few seconds. What will be the result from the pilot's viewpoint?

  • A

    The aircraft will transiently lose air speed and may even enter a stall.

  • B

    The aircraft will appear to speed up with reference to ground features.

  • C

    The aircraft will gain air speed and rise.

  • D

    The aircraft ground speed will transiently fall.

It is perhaps better to consider these questions in terms of the aircraft's energy:

  • Headwind increasing / tailwind decreasing = gain of energy
  • Tailwind increasing / headwind decreasing = loss of energy

In this question it states: the aircraft is on a heading of 240 when the wind changes from 250/10 to 070/05. This represents a decreasing headwind / increasing tailwind which will result in a loss of energy and so:

  • Aircraft sinks below the flight path
  • Airspeed decreases
  • Increased risk of stall

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