In rec.aviation.student Ricky wrote:
On May 29, 9:58?am, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

gatt wrote ;

A question the examiner asked him: "You're flying cross-country
and
trimmed at 110 knots. You die, and the engine quits. At what airspeed
will the aircraft strike the ground?"

He's obviously looking at getting an answer that it will be the same
speed, but that's not correct. It probably wouldn;'t be far off it, but
the thrust line and any up or down thrust will play a big part in what
the airplane settles at after the engine dies.

Bertie

Wait, wait, wait...around 110 knots? I must be missing sumthin. Why
would the a/c hit around 110? Uhh..this commercial pilot feels really
stupid but I don't get it. My assumption is; engine quits-airplane
slows down; pilot dies, engine quits-airplane spins in but this seems
to have a bunch of "what-ifs" to it, as well.

The first two steps you mention are correct but incomplete. The real
sequence goes: engine quits, airplane slows down, airplane begins to
descend, descent causes airplane to speed up, speed decreases the descent,
airplane slows down, airplane descends more, airplane speeds up, etc.

This cycle of increasing and decreasing airspeeds coupled with slower and
faster descents is called a phugoid. It's caused by the airplane
attempting to return to the originally trimmed angle of attack and thus
original airspeed. Depending on the airplane it may continue all the way
to the ground or it may damp out beforehand.

--
Mike Ash
Radio Free Earth
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