Soar to New Heights with the 2025 Commercial Pilot License (CPL) Practice Exam – Ready for Takeoff!

When elevator control is lost and trim is set for level flight, the aircraft will tend to pitch down unless corrective action is taken. Holding the nose off the ground as long as possible helps to maintain some degree of control and prevents the nose from descending too quickly, which could lead to a loss of control or an uncontrolled descent, especially during landing. By keeping the nose up, the pilot can aim to keep the aircraft level or in a slight climb, if possible, which helps to manage the landing approach more safely.

In this scenario, deploying an emergency parachute is not applicable unless the aircraft is specifically equipped with such a system, and even then, it wouldn’t be appropriate during a landing approach. Applying full throttle might help to counteract a descent, but without elevator control, it could also lead to an increase in what is known as the “pitch attitude” unless monitored carefully. Activating flaps up would generally be counterproductive during landing, as flaps are used to increase lift and control at lower speeds; retracting them could worsen the situation by reducing lift and increasing stall speed. Therefore, the best course of action is to keep the nose elevated for as long as possible to maintain as much control as the situation allows.