Plain English Meaning

A tight, banked turn made while gliding without engine power and close to the ground. It is most often used in an emergency to line the airplane up with a place to land, and it must be flown carefully because there is little altitude to recover if the airplane stalls.

Full Definition

A steep banked turn performed during a power-off glide at low altitude, typically practiced as part of emergency landing training to maneuver an airplane toward a suitable forced-landing area. Because the airplane is gliding (no engine power) and close to the ground, the turn must be flown with precise pitch and bank control to maintain the proper glide speed and avoid an accelerated stall, which can be fatal at low altitude.

Context Anchor

Seen in gliding-turn and emergency- training, especially when discussing made near the ground after reducing or during a simulated .