Recognize & apply procedure

The graded skill here isn't knowing the procedures — it's reaching for the matching one, on the first try, while you keep flying the airplane.

The execution loop

When the examiner introduces a simulated malfunction, you run the same loop every time, out loud enough that your decision-making is visible:

1. Recognize — name the abnormal indication. "Engine's running rough." "Ammeter's showing discharge." Saying it converts a vague unease into a problem you can work.
2. Fly the airplane — pitch and trim to the ACS tolerance (altitude ±200 ft, heading ±15°) first, so the analysis happens on a stable platform, not during a creeping descent (R1, S3-style discipline).
3. Confirm — read the supporting indications before you act. Don't treat the first plausible cause as fact; rule the alternatives in or out (R1).
4. Apply the correct procedure — the memory items for that failure, then the checklist (S2). The word that matters is correct: diagnosis (K1–K3) and procedure selection are what's being graded, not button speed.
5. Decide — continue, divert, or land (R2).

What it looks like

A worked example to anchor it: the engine starts running rough on a descent. You recognize it, pitch for best glide and trim, then confirm — and because you know carb ice owns this exact regime (K1), carb heat goes ON, fuel BOTH, mixture rich, mags checked. If the engine smooths as the melt-water clears, you've diagnosed and fixed it — and you still land at a nearby field to investigate rather than pressing on (R2). If it doesn't smooth, you've already got best glide established and you commit to the forced-landing flow (IX.B) with altitude in hand.

A second anchor, on the electrical side: the ammeter shows discharge. You recognize it, keep flying, and confirm it's a charging failure rather than an engine problem — the engine note is unchanged, because the magnetos don't care about the battery (K1). So the procedure is the electrical one: shed nonessential load, preserve the radios you'll want, and plan to land before the battery runs out — calm and methodical, because this is an urgency, not a fire.

The thread through all of it: apply the appropriate procedure means the one that fits the confirmed failure. A flawless run of the wrong checklist is still the wrong checklist — which is why recognition and analysis, not recitation, are the heart of this skill.