Question

If a pilot was on descent and became visual at 5000 feet, a few thousand feet above the MSA, what is the lowest altitude the aircraft could descend to?

a) MSA
b) 5000 feet
c) Decision Altitude
d) MDA

Answer 1

The lowest altitude the aircraft could descend to is the Minimum Safe Altitude (MSA). The MSA is the minimum altitude that provides obstacle clearance within a certain radius of the aircraft's position, ensuring safe operations.

Step-by-step explanation:

The lowest altitude the aircraft could descend to is the Minimum Safe Altitude (MSA).

The MSA is the minimum altitude that provides obstacle clearance within a certain radius of the aircraft's position. It ensures that there are no obstacles, like mountains or buildings, that the aircraft could collide with. The MSA is specific to each location and is determined by aviation authorities to ensure safe operations.

In this case, since the aircraft became visual at 5000 feet, a few thousand feet above the MSA, it cannot descend below the MSA and would have to maintain a minimum altitude equal to or higher than the MSA.