Question

You have planned a cross-country flight on a warm spring morning. Your course includes a mountain pass, which is at 11,500 feet MSL. The service ceiling of your airplane is 14,000 feet MSL. After checking the local weather report, you are able to calculate the density altitude of the mountain pass as 14,800 feet MSL. Which of the following is the correct action to take?

Answer 1

When encountering a mountain pass with a density altitude higher than the aircraft's service ceiling, the pilot should opt for an alternative route or delay the flight for safety.

Step-by-step explanation:

The scenario presented involves a planned flight where the pilot encounters a mountain pass with a density altitude of 14,800 feet MSL, which exceeds the service ceiling of the aircraft at 14,000 feet MSL. Given that the density altitude is a measure of air density and its effect on aircraft performance, and that it exceeds the service ceiling, the correct action to take would be to either choose an alternative route that does not require flying at or above the service ceiling or delay the flight until the density altitude is within the safe operating limits of the aircraft. The risk of aircraft performance issues such as reduced climb rate or even the inability to maintain altitude indicates that it would be unsafe to proceed with the flight through the mountain pass under these conditions.