The aircraft is not turning at the rate appropriate to the bank used, since the aircraft is yawed toward the outside of the turning flight path (too much horizontal lift).

• A. Spiral dive
• B. Skidding turn
• C. Slipping turn
• D. Coordinated turn

Answer: (C)

In a turn, the tilt of the lift vector provides the horizontal force that makes the aircraft follow a curved path. When the aircraft’s fuselage is yawed toward the outside of the turning path and the turn rate is slower than what the bank angle would imply, you’re seeing a sideslip situation where the air is moving across the airplane rather than neatly into the turn. The result is that the actual turning rate is not matching the bank — the airplane isn’t pulling the nose into the center of the turn as effectively as it should. This condition is called a slipping turn: the aircraft is slipping sideways through the air, with the nose pointing outward relative to the turn.

This differs from a coordinated turn, where the turn rate matches the bank with the ball centered and no sideslip. It also differs from a skid, where the turn rate is too fast for the bank and the airplane tends to yaw differently (often more toward the inside of the turn). A spiral dive is a completely different, dangerous situation involving a steep descent with increasing turn rate.