Definition
An energy state in which the airplane is simultaneously below the desired altitude and below the desired airspeed for a given phase of flight, indicating a deficit in both potential and kinetic energy that must be corrected with added thrust before any pitch change can restore the intended flightpath.
Plain English
The airplane is too low and too slow at the same time. There is not enough height and not enough speed, so the pilot must add power to fix both problems before adjusting pitch.
Context Anchor
Used in energy management discussions, especially during approach, landing, and other low-altitude flight.
Why Pilots Care
Prevents high-and-fast arrivals that lead to unstable approaches, runway overshoots, or go-arounds.
Grounding Statement
The airplane has little height to trade for speed and little speed to help it climb or correct its path.
Intuition Check
Lower-and-slower does not mean normal descent or normal slowing for landing. It means the airplane is below where it should be and slower than it should be, creating an unsafe low-energy situation.
Example Sentence 1
On short final the pilot recognized a lower-and-slower condition and immediately added power before correcting pitch.
Example Sentence 2
Entering the pattern lower-and-slower allowed the student to configure the airplane early and avoid a rushed landing.