During a low-speed emergency descent, what is the maximum bank angle?

• A. Up to 30 degrees
• B. Up to 45 degrees
• C. Up to 60 degrees
• D. Up to 75 degrees

Answer: (C)

In a low-speed emergency descent, you want to descend quickly but stay controllable and within safe aerodynamic limits. Bank angle directly changes how much load your wings must carry. As you bank, the load factor increases roughly as 1/cos(phi). At about 60 degrees, the airplane is pulling about 2 g. That higher load factor raises the stall speed (stall speed grows with the square root of load factor), so you have less margin before you reach a stall if your airspeed drops. Steeper banks also reduce your ability to recover quickly if you encounter a gust or need to level off.

So, 60 degrees is the practical upper limit: it provides a reasonable descent rate while keeping you within safe control and stall margins. Going steeper, like 75 degrees, makes control and recovery much more difficult and increases stall risk, which isn’t desirable in an emergency descent. The lower options (30 or 45 degrees) give less descent rate and aren’t the standard recommended maximum for safety.