Skip to main content
Aviation glossary

Irreversible Deceleration And/Or Sink Rate

What is irreversible deceleration and/or sink rate?

FAA handbook figure illustrating irreversible deceleration and/or sink rate

This is a situation where the airplane is losing speed and/or altitude so rapidly that there is not enough engine power available to stop it, and if it occurs too low to the ground the pilot cannot prevent a crash no matter what controls are applied.

Studying for an FAA written test?

Terms like irreversible deceleration and/or sink rate show up on the FAA knowledge test. Study them in context with ACS-aligned practice questions, AI explanations, and the cited FAA handbook reference behind every answer — free to start.

Learn more in the library

Related terms

Browse the full glossary →