What occurs when a pilot decreases cruise speed in the presence of a tailwind?

When a pilot decreases cruise speed in the presence of a tailwind, they maximize the functional range of the aircraft. This is because a tailwind effectively adds additional speed to the aircraft’s ground speed without requiring increased fuel consumption to maintain the airspeed. By flying at a slower cruise speed while benefiting from the tailwind, the aircraft can travel further on the same amount of fuel.

Maximizing functional range involves balancing airspeed and fuel efficiency. In a tailwind situation, reducing the airspeed allows the aircraft to take advantage of the extra groundspeed provided by the tailwind, which can lead to more economically efficient flight by extending the range before requiring additional fuel.

The other choices involve aspects that do not necessarily apply in this context; for instance, losing altitude control is unrelated to speed reduction in this scenario, chances of icing typically depend more on atmospheric conditions than speed, and engine efficiency would generally not be adversely affected by a lower cruise speed in the presence of a tailwind, as the wind helps in maintaining performance.