FAA speed limit below 10,000 feet explains mid-flight slowdowns
A federal speed restriction requires airliners to slow below 10,000 feet, which passengers often mistake for a problem. The rule accounts for routine speed and altitude changes during descent.
Airliners routinely change speed and altitude during descent, and passengers often read those changes as signs of trouble. Usually it is a US speed restriction, not an emergency.
The rule requires aircraft to reduce speed below 10,000 feet. That is a normal part of an approach.
Descents are rarely continuous. Planes level off several times on the way to an airport, and speed is adjusted at multiple points along the way. The flight feels uneven rather than smooth from takeoff to landing.
Sources
- simpleflying.comThe FAA's 10-Knot Rule That Explains Every Mid-Flight Slowdown Passengers Mistake For Trouble