If weight becomes greater than lift, what happens to the aircraft?

• A. Lighter
• B. Greater
• C. Equal
• D. Less

Answer: (B)

In flight, steady altitude happens when lift exactly balances weight. If weight becomes greater than lift, there’s a net downward force on the airplane, so it will start to descend. The aircraft will continue to lose altitude until the lift increases (by speed, angle of attack, or configuration changes) enough to match the weight again, or the pilot makes adjustments to restore level flight. The option that describes the situation is “Greater” because it states that weight is greater than lift, which is what causes the descent. The other choices describe the aircraft becoming lighter, equal, or less, which don’t reflect the downward tendency when weight exceeds lift.