What is the recommended recovery action in a spiral dive?

What is the recommended recovery action in a spiral dive?

• A. Increase bank angle to regain airspeed.
• B. Stop the turn by rolling opposite to the direction of the turn.
• C. Apply power to increase airspeed.
• D. Recover with coordinated roll and opposite rudder.

Answer: (D)

When you’re in a spiral dive, the aircraft is banked steeply and turning tightly while gaining airspeed. The correct recovery is to roll toward wings level to reduce the bank and, at the same time, use opposite rudder to counter the yaw and stop the turn in a coordinated way. This combination arrests the spiral smoothly and brings the aircraft back to straight, level flight, after which you can re-trim and resume normal flight. Increasing the bank would deepen the spiral and increase speed, making recovery harder. Merely stopping the turn by rolling without opposite rudder can leave persistent yaw or a continuing turn. Applying power isn’t the standard fix in a glider spiral dive, since the issue is the flight path and yaw, not simply airspeed.

When you’re in a spiral dive, the aircraft is banked steeply and turning tightly while gaining airspeed. The correct recovery is to roll toward wings level to reduce the bank and, at the same time, use opposite rudder to counter the yaw and stop the turn in a coordinated way. This combination arrests the spiral smoothly and brings the aircraft back to straight, level flight, after which you can re-trim and resume normal flight.

Increasing the bank would deepen the spiral and increase speed, making recovery harder. Merely stopping the turn by rolling without opposite rudder can leave persistent yaw or a continuing turn. Applying power isn’t the standard fix in a glider spiral dive, since the issue is the flight path and yaw, not simply airspeed.