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Aircraft systems and instrumentsQuestion 516 of 934

What risk can exist when a pilot flies over high mountainous terrain?

  1. The altimeter can read 1,000 feet or more too low
  2. The altimeter can stop working above about 10,000 feet
  3. The altimeter can read about 100 feet too high at most
  4. The altimeter can read 1,000 feet or more too high
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Correct answer: The altimeter can read 1,000 feet or more too high

The pilot should allow a generous margin of altitude for altimeter error and for downdrafts.

Source: Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Chapter 8: Flight Instruments — Altimeter — Setting the Altimeter, page 207

Practice aircraft systems and instruments

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026