Step2Study

FAA Airline Transport Pilot (ATM) practice questions

300 free questions with answers and explanations.

Practice test
  1. 101.A transport aircraft is loaded so that the center of gravity (CG) is near the aft limit rather than near the forward limit, with all other factors held constant. How does this aft CG loading primarily affect the airplane's stall speed?Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  2. 102.During a preflight briefing, a first officer states, "I feel like nothing can go wrong on this flight; I've flown this route a hundred times." This statement is most representative of which hazardous attitude?Human Factors and CRM
  3. 103.An airliner is holding at 180 knots true airspeed and needs to fly a standard-rate turn. Using the standard bank angle formula (TAS/10 + 7), approximately what bank angle should the pilot use?Navigation, Air Traffic Control and Procedures
  4. 104.A dispatcher planning a flight through mountainous terrain notes that an AIRMET Sierra is currently in effect for the route. What hazard does this advisory primarily indicate?Meteorology and Weather Services
  5. 105.A crew is departing on a very cold winter morning with the surface temperature well below the ISA standard for the airport elevation. What effect does this cold temperature have on the aircraft's true altitude compared to its indicated altitude?Meteorology and Weather Services
  6. 106.A cargo compartment floor has a maximum floor loading limit of 100 lb per square foot. A pallet weighing 2,400 lb has a footprint of 4 feet by 5 feet. What must be done before this pallet can be loaded in that compartment?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  7. 107.An airplane's 1G, wings-level stall speed in the landing configuration is 130 KIAS. During a coupled ILS approach, the autopilot briefly commands a 60° bank angle turn to intercept the localizer. Assuming a level, coordinated turn, what is the approximate new stall speed in this turn?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  8. 108.An airline captain is descending through 11,000 feet MSL toward the destination airport, and ATC has not issued any speed restriction. What is the maximum indicated airspeed permitted below 10,000 feet MSL?Navigation, Air Traffic Control and Procedures
  9. 109.An airline crew is taxiing to the gate after landing when the captain begins discussing weekend plans with the first officer. Under 14 CFR Part 121, this conversation is a violation of which regulation?Human Factors and CRM
  10. 110.A flight crew is departing behind a heavy transport-category aircraft that is climbing slowly with flaps and gear retracted. Which condition produces the strongest wingtip vortices for wake turbulence purposes?Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  11. 111.Following a diversion due to a medical emergency, a captain leads a structured post-flight debrief focused on what happened, why decisions were made, and what could be improved next time, without assigning personal blame to any crewmember. The primary purpose of this type of CRM debrief is to:Human Factors and CRM
  12. 112.A pilot copies the following METAR: 'METAR KDEN 151853Z 28022G35KT 10SM FEW050 22/08 A2995.' What does the notation G35KT indicate?Meteorology and Weather Services
  13. 113.A commercial pilot wants to act as PIC and carry passengers in a multiengine airplane at night. Under 14 CFR 61.57(b), within the preceding 90 days the pilot must have made at least three takeoffs and three landings to a full stop, as sole manipulator, in an aircraft of the same category, class, and type (if required), during what time period?Regulations (14 CFR 117/121/61)
  14. 114.A meteorologist observes that temperature increases with height in a shallow layer near the surface instead of decreasing as normal. What is this condition called, and what weather effect does it commonly produce?Meteorology and Weather Services
  15. 115.An airplane has an operating empty weight (OEW) of 90,000 lb, a maximum zero fuel weight (MZFW) of 130,000 lb, and a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 180,000 lb. Once the airplane is loaded with payload up to its MZFW, what is the maximum additional fuel weight that can be loaded for takeoff?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  16. 116.A flight planner is evaluating winds aloft for a high-altitude transcontinental flight and wants to identify the region most likely to produce clear air turbulence associated with the jet stream. Where should this be expected?Meteorology and Weather Services
  17. 117.During a rapid decompression at FL410, a pilot's time of useful consciousness is significantly shorter than the same decompression at FL250 primarily because:Human Factors and CRM
  18. 118.A pilot submits a PIREP stating that turbulence caused occupants to be forced violently against their seat belts, unsecured objects were tossed about the cabin, and the aircraft was momentarily out of control. Which turbulence intensity should be reported in the PIREP?Meteorology and Weather Services
  19. 119.During an approach in icing conditions with the tailplane accumulating ice contamination, a pilot lowers flaps to the landing position and experiences an abrupt uncommanded nose-down pitch and reduced elevator authority. This is characteristic of which hazard?Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  20. 120.A dispatcher plans a flight at Mach 0.80 (480 KTAS) eastbound through a jet stream core with a 150-knot tailwind component. What groundspeed should the crew expect while in the core, and what is the primary planning implication?Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  21. 121.An all-cargo Part 121 operator has not elected to comply with 14 CFR Part 117 and instead applies the flight time limitations of 14 CFR 121.471. What is the maximum flight time a flightcrew member may accumulate in any calendar year under this section?Regulations (14 CFR 117/121/61)
  22. 122.While on a 3-mile final approach, a flight crew observes a rapidly increasing headwind component followed within seconds by a sudden strong tailwind and a significant unexpected sink rate. Which hazard is indicated, and what is the appropriate immediate crew response?Meteorology and Weather Services
  23. 123.During cruise flight, an airliner's TCAS issues a Resolution Advisory (RA) directing a climb, while ATC simultaneously instructs the crew to descend for traffic separation. What action should the flight crew take?Navigation, Air Traffic Control and Procedures
  24. 124.A dispatcher plans a departure well below the airplane's maximum structural takeoff weight, so the crew elects to use the assumed temperature method to compute a reduced-thrust takeoff. What is the primary operational benefit of this technique?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  25. 125.While flying in IMC, a pilot completes a gradual, prolonged turn that the vestibular system fails to detect due to fluid settling in the inner ear. After returning the wings to level flight per the instruments, the pilot feels a strong, false sensation of banking in the opposite direction and is tempted to re-enter the original turn to counter it. Which illusion is the pilot experiencing?Human Factors and CRM
  26. 126.During an unforeseen operational circumstance (such as an unexpected weather delay), a Part 121 PIC wants to extend the maximum unaugmented 2-pilot flight duty period beyond the Table B limit. Under 14 CFR 117.19, what is the maximum extension allowed, and who must agree to it?Regulations (14 CFR 117/121/61)
  27. 127.A Part 121 operator wants to schedule the maximum permissible flight duty period for a three-pilot augmented crew under Part 117 Table B. Which class of rest facility must be installed on the airplane to achieve the longest allowable FDP?Regulations (14 CFR 117/121/61)
  28. 128.A dispatcher is filing an IFR flight plan for an airliner whose destination has only a non-precision approach available. To omit an alternate airport from the flight plan under the standard alternate minimums ('1-2-3' rule), the forecast weather at the destination for the period 1 hour before to 1 hour after the ETA must indicate at least what ceiling and visibility?Navigation, Air Traffic Control and Procedures
  29. 129.A transport aircraft is certificated with a maximum cabin pressure differential of 8.60 psi. While cruising at FL410, ambient pressure is approximately 2.18 psi and the cabin is maintained at an 8,000-foot cabin altitude. If the outflow valve malfunctioned closed and the cabin pressure rose to sea-level pressure (14.70 psi) while the airplane remained at FL410, the resulting cabin differential pressure would be approximately:Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  30. 130.An aircraft is decelerating on final approach and slows below its minimum drag speed (L/D max). To maintain a constant airspeed and glide path, the pilot must add power as speed decreases further. This region of flight, where additional thrust is required to maintain slower airspeeds, is known as:Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  31. 131.A pilot reviewing performance data notes the aircraft's critical Mach number is 0.74 while the aircraft is currently cruising at Mach 0.70. What does the critical Mach number represent?Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  32. 132.During a takeoff performance briefing, a first officer asks the captain to define V1. Which statement best describes V1?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  33. 133.A transport aircraft's stall protection system incorporates two distinct devices: one vibrates the control column to alert the pilot as angle of attack approaches the critical value, and the other automatically pushes the control column forward if angle of attack continues to increase toward a preset threshold. These devices are respectively known as:Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  34. 134.A dispatcher is checking whether the landing climb requirement limits the maximum landing weight at the destination airport. Per 14 CFR Part 25, the landing climb gradient is demonstrated in which configuration and engine condition?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  35. 135.A turbojet transport is in cruise flight and steadily burning fuel, reducing its gross weight over time. Assuming a constant Mach number, how does the airplane's optimum cruise altitude typically change as weight decreases, and why?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  36. 136.A pilot flying an RNAV (GPS) approach loses situational awareness after a distraction and needs an immediate safe altitude reference using the Minimum Safe Altitude (MSA) circle depicted on the approach chart, centered on the IAF. What does the MSA guarantee, and how should it be used?Navigation, Air Traffic Control and Procedures
  37. 137.Tower issues a Land and Hold Short Operation (LAHSO) clearance to an airliner, specifying an Available Landing Distance (ALD) of 5,500 feet. The crew's calculated required landing distance for current conditions is 5,800 feet. What should the crew do?Navigation, Air Traffic Control and Procedures
  38. 138.During an approach with visible ice accumulation on the leading edge of the main wing (wing anti-ice system inoperative), what is the primary aerodynamic effect on the wing's stall characteristics?Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  39. 139.A pilot is flying VFR above 3,000 feet AGL on a magnetic course of 185°. Which cruising altitude complies with the hemispheric cruising altitude rule under 14 CFR 91.159?Navigation, Air Traffic Control and Procedures
  40. 140.During cruise in a swept-wing transport with the yaw damper inoperative, a pilot notices a persistent, lightly damped combined rolling and yawing oscillation. What aerodynamic characteristic is most directly responsible for this motion?Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  41. 141.A dispatcher is selecting an alternate airport for a Part 121 flight. The alternate has only nonprecision approaches published, and no other alternate minimums are specified for that airport. Under standard alternate minimums, what ceiling and visibility must be forecast for the alternate to be used?Regulations (14 CFR 117/121/61)
  42. 142.A transport-category airplane has a high wing loading compared to a lighter airplane of similar size. In moderate turbulence, how does this high wing loading primarily affect the ride quality and gust response?Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  43. 143.While cruising over high mountainous terrain, a twin-engine transport experiences a failure of one engine. The crew is unable to maintain the current cruise altitude on the remaining engine and initiates a drift-down procedure. What is the primary objective of this maneuver?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  44. 144.An aircraft flying through a cumulonimbus cloud encounters large supercooled water droplets that freeze slowly upon impact, forming a smooth, hard, transparent layer of ice on the airframe. Which type of structural icing is described, and why is it considered especially hazardous?Meteorology and Weather Services
  45. 145.Per 14 CFR Part 25 certification standards, immediately after liftoff with the critical engine inoperative, the landing gear still extended, and the airplane at V2, what minimum climb gradient must a two-engine transport category airplane demonstrate during the first segment of the takeoff flight path?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  46. 146.A twin-engine transport departs at a weight 9,600 lb above its maximum structural landing weight and must return immediately due to a medical emergency. The airplane's fuel jettison system dumps fuel at a rate of 1,200 lb per minute. Approximately how long must the crew jettison fuel to reach maximum landing weight, ignoring fuel burned during the jettison?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  47. 147.A pilot is comparing the effect of wind on landing distance. Why do AFM performance charts typically apply only a 50% credit for headwind but a full (or greater) penalty for tailwind components?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  48. 148.At 2100 local time, the temperature is 20°C and the dew point is 14°C. Skies are clear with calm winds, and the dew point spread has been narrowing at a steady rate of 2°C per hour since sunset. Assuming this trend continues, approximately how many hours after 2100 should the pilot expect fog to begin forming?Meteorology and Weather Services
  49. 149.A flight crew is briefed that moderate-to-severe clear air turbulence (CAT) is forecast near their cruise altitude of FL350. This turbulence is most likely to be associated with which meteorological feature?Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  50. 150.A first officer notices the flight is being hijacked by an unauthorized person in the cockpit. Air traffic control has not been contacted verbally. Which transponder code should the crew select to alert ATC of the situation?Navigation, Air Traffic Control and Procedures