Where are stalls most hazardous?

Stalls are most hazardous at or below 1000' AGL, particularly in the circuit. The altitude loss in a stall recovery for most GA aircraft is around 100-350 ft. In most cases this gives you just enough time and height to recognise the stall symptoms and carry out a recovery. But what about on final, when you are already low and slow, what can you do to help yourself? AVOID - RECOGNISE - RECOVER. Avoid the situation in the first place. If you do end up in a stall, be sure to recognise it as soon as it occurs and then carry out the correct stall recovery to minimise height loss.

Who is this most likely to happen to?

"But this would never happen to me". The thought may have already crossed your mind. So, who are these stall accidents happening to? According to an American Safety Foundation study, student pilots and Airline pilots were the least likely to have an accident resulting from a stall, so it must be everyone else then?

So why, once private pilots gain their licence, is this more likely to happen to them? Lack of proficiency and complacency are two of the main leading factors. When was the last time you practiced stalling, or better yet, approach configuration stalls or stalls in the turn? Keeping up to speed on these basic skills, can mean the difference between quickly recognising the symptoms of a stall and calmly recovering from it, and a fatal accident.

As pilots, we should feel confident in our ability to recognise the signs and symptoms of a stall and be able to safely recover from one before it becomes fully developed. If you’ve yet to reach that level of confidence, why not fly with an instructor until you do? If you’re already confident, recognise that stall accidents can still happen to the best of us and that we should never become complacent.

How to recognise the signs and symptoms

The signs of an imminent stall include:

Speed - low and decreasing (sometimes rapidly)

Attitude - increasing to maintain level flight

Stall warning - is your stall warner going off?

Buffet - airframe buffet occurs

Instability - beyond moderate buffet, wing drop and side slip may develop

Rate of descent - a high sink rate develops

Stick / control column position - the stick may be moved progressively aft

Remember, the earlier a potential stall is recognised, the easier it is to correct. When you realise you’ve entered one, the first and most important step to begin recovery is to reduce your angle of attack. Most stall recoveries require at least four steps to fully recover:

1.     Pitch the nose-down to decrease the angle of attack.

2.     Reduce the bank by levelling the wings.

3.     Add power as needed.

4.     Return to the desired flight path

Complex or advanced aircraft, such as those with retractable landing gear, autopilot or spoilers, require additional steps depending on their configuration. Stall recovery should always be performed according to your aircraft’s specific guidance.

Summary

This, like most things in aviation, always comes back to the basics. There's no substitute for flying proficiency, familiarity and currency. So, next time you're flying, why not climb up to altitude and practice stalling in different configurations and attitudes, practice those stall recoveries so they become second nature. Or, if it’s been a while since you've done it, why not fly with an instructor so they can give you feedback on how well you flew. A little practice and proficiency can go a long way, even for those skygods of you out there!

Further reading

• CAA: Stay in Control

• CAA SN: SN-2020/018

• CAA: Global Fatal Accident Review

• EASA: Loss of Control (LOC-I)

• IATA: LOC-I Accident Analysis Report

• SKYbrary: Loss of Control

• AAIB reports

• CAA Reporting guidance