Power-Off Stalls

4.power-off-stalls. Power-Off Stalls

A power-off stall (sometimes called an approach-to-landing stall) simulates the conditions and airplane configuration most likely to lead to an inadvertent stall during a normal approach to landing. The maneuver is practiced with the airplane configured for landing — gear down (if retractable), full or partial flaps, and power reduced — to develop the pilot's ability to recognize an impending stall in this critical phase of flight and to recover promptly with minimum altitude loss.

Purpose and Reference Conditions

The purpose of the maneuver is to teach the pilot to recognize the aerodynamic and flight-control cues of an approaching stall in the landing configuration, and to execute a prompt, coordinated recovery. The maneuver should be entered no lower than an altitude that allows recovery to be completed at least 1,500 feet AGL (or the manufacturer's recommended altitude, whichever is higher). Both straight-ahead and turning (typically 20° bank) entries are practiced, simulating an inadvertent stall during a straight-in final approach and during a base-to-final turn, respectively.

Pre-Maneuver Procedure

• Complete clearing turns to ensure the practice area is clear of traffic.
• Establish the airplane on a cardinal heading at a safe altitude.
• Reduce power and slow to the manufacturer's recommended approach airspeed while extending landing gear (if applicable) and flaps in the normal landing sequence.
• Establish a stabilized descent on a normal approach glidepath, trimming for the recommended approach airspeed (often around 1.3 V_SO).

Entry

From the stabilized descent, the pilot smoothly retards the throttle to idle (simulating a closed throttle on final) and gradually raises the nose to a pitch attitude that will induce a stall. The objective is not to abruptly pull the airplane into a stall but to slowly increase pitch — about the rate used to flare for landing — while maintaining coordinated flight with rudder. Bank should be held at the desired entry angle (wings level, or up to 20°) using coordinated aileron and rudder.

As airspeed decays, the pilot should observe and call out the recognized cues of the impending stall:

• Decreasing airspeed and decreasing control effectiveness (mushy controls).
• Increased back-pressure required to maintain pitch.
• Stall warning horn or light activation (typically 5–10 knots above stall).
• Aerodynamic buffet from disturbed airflow over the empennage.
• A nose-down pitching tendency or wing drop at the full stall.

Recovery

The FAA-prescribed stall recovery template, applied to the power-off stall, is:

1. Disconnect the autopilot and autothrottle (if installed).
2. Pitch nose-down — simultaneously and positively reduce the angle of attack by releasing back-pressure or pushing forward as required to break the stall. This is the single most important action.
3. Roll wings level with coordinated aileron and rudder.
4. Add maximum allowable thrust (full power) smoothly while monitoring for left-turning tendencies.
5. Retract speedbrakes/spoilers (not applicable to most light trainers).
6. Return to the desired flightpath, then retract flaps to an approach setting and raise the gear once a positive rate of climb is established.

Recovery to coordinated, unstalled flight should be completed with minimum altitude loss — typically less than 100 feet for light trainers when the recovery is initiated at the first indication of a stall (an impending stall) and somewhat more for a full stall recovery.

Common Errors

• Failure to establish the proper landing configuration prior to entry.
• Improper or inadequate clearing turns.
• Inadequate back-pressure during entry, resulting in a descent rather than a stall.
• Excessive back-pressure, producing an abrupt pitch-up and accelerated stall.
• Uncoordinated use of rudder, allowing yaw to develop into a wing drop or incipient spin.
• Failure to recognize the first indications of a stall.
• Recovering before the prescribed stall break (full-stall practice) or after the airplane is fully stalled (impending-stall practice), depending on the task.
• Using ailerons to pick up a dropped wing instead of rudder, increasing angle of attack on the down-going wing.
• Adding power before reducing angle of attack, deepening the stall.
• Excessive altitude loss or secondary stall during recovery.

Airman Certification Standards Tolerances (Private, Single-Engine Land)

For private pilot applicants, the maneuver is conducted from straight flight and from turns of approximately 20° bank, in the landing configuration, at an entry altitude that allows recovery to be completed at least 1,500 feet AGL. Heading is maintained ±10° (straight) or bank ±10° (turning). The recovery is initiated at the first indication of a stall (impending) or after the full stall, as specified by the evaluator, and is executed with minimum loss of altitude appropriate to the airplane.