During a landing approach, if the aircraft encounters wind shear with an increasing headwind, which statements are true?

During a landing approach, if the aircraft encounters wind shear with an increasing headwind, which statements are true?

• A. Flies above the glide path and has an increasing true airspeed.
• B. Flies below the glide path and has a decreasing true airspeed.
• C. Flies above the glide path and has a decreasing true airspeed.
• D. Flies below the glide path and has an increasing true airspeed.

Answer: (C)

In the context of a landing approach, encountering wind shear with an increasing headwind causes the aircraft to experience changes in its flight path and airspeed. When there is an increasing headwind, this means the aircraft is facing stronger winds coming towards it, which can maintain or even gain altitude momentarily. Flying above the glide path typically indicates that the aircraft is not descending as it should for the approach to land. An increasing headwind means that the aircraft maintains or increases its true airspeed relative to the ground, even while being lifted higher than the intended glide path. This is because the headwind reduces the groundspeed, which leads to a scenario where the aircraft, while it may be at adequate airspeed, appears to be moving more slowly over the ground than it actually is in the air. Therefore, the correct understanding is that as the aircraft flies above the glide path, the increasing headwind leads to a decrease in groundspeed despite potentially maintaining or increasing true airspeed.

In the context of a landing approach, encountering wind shear with an increasing headwind causes the aircraft to experience changes in its flight path and airspeed. When there is an increasing headwind, this means the aircraft is facing stronger winds coming towards it, which can maintain or even gain altitude momentarily.

Flying above the glide path typically indicates that the aircraft is not descending as it should for the approach to land. An increasing headwind means that the aircraft maintains or increases its true airspeed relative to the ground, even while being lifted higher than the intended glide path. This is because the headwind reduces the groundspeed, which leads to a scenario where the aircraft, while it may be at adequate airspeed, appears to be moving more slowly over the ground than it actually is in the air.

Therefore, the correct understanding is that as the aircraft flies above the glide path, the increasing headwind leads to a decrease in groundspeed despite potentially maintaining or increasing true airspeed.