controlled flight
Directed aerial travel
Controlled flight is sustained movement through air or space where the pilot or system actively directs the aircraft's path, altitude, and speed.
The term distinguishes purposeful navigation from uncontrolled descent or freefall.
It appears in aviation contexts and accident reports: The aircraft remained in controlled flight until impact suggests the plane was functioning normally.
The phrase controlled flight into terrain describes crashes where a working aircraft is flown into the ground, often due to pilot error or disorientation.
- aviationFlying or operating aircraft
- pilotingControlling a vehicle's course
- smooth landingGentle aircraft arrival
- maneuverDeliberate tactical movement
- altitudeMeasured height above reference
cockpit · steady · navigation · airborne · clear skies · soaring · final approach · banking · throttle · rudder · aileron · trajectory · aerodynamics · precision · landing · takeoff · cruise · yoke
controlled flightfree fall
Unimpeded gravitational descent
falling · tumbling · plummeting · out of control · loss of control
controlled flightloss of control
Inability to direct outcomes
stall · spin · flat spin · out of control · death spiral
controlled flightcrash
Sudden violent impact
crashing · structural failure · ditching · emergency descent
controlled, flight, control, controls, controlling, controller, controllers, uncontrolled, controllable