controlled descent
Regulated downward movement
A controlled descent is a deliberate, managed downward movement—whether of an aircraft, climber, or spacecraft.
The phrase distinguishes intentional slowing from freefall or crash: The pilot executed a controlled descent through the clouds.
In climbing, it often means rappelling.
The term appears in accident reports to confirm a descent was planned rather than catastrophic.
- rappelControlled rope descent
- glideMove with effortless continuity
- glide pathAircraft's landing descent route
- parachuteDrag-creating descent device
- abseilControlled rope descent
bungee cord · landing · soft landing · brake · slope · gravity · freefall · terminal velocity · dead drop · touchdown · altitude · rope · harness · steady · gradual · sink · lower · elevator
- scuba divingscuba, regulator, BCD, scuba diving, wetsuit
- landingslanding, touchdown, touch and go, emergency landing, soft landing
- rope descentrappelling, abseiling, lowering, fast rope
- spacecraft landingsoft landing, hard landing, splashdown, touchdown, vertical landing
controlled descentfree fall
Unimpeded gravitational descent
plummeting · plunge · nosedive · crash · tumbling
controlled descenttakeoff
Departure or parody
liftoff · ascent · steady climb · climb · rising
control, controlled, controller, controllers, controlling, controls, uncontrolled, controllable, uncontrollable