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Commercial pilot · ACS CA.VII.D · lesson pack

Accelerated Stalls

Why this one matters

Pilots often think of stalls as a slow-speed problem, so a stall at cruise-like speeds catches them off guard: in a steep turn back to the runway, a tight pattern, or an aggressive pull. The accelerated stall teaches that angle of attack, not airspeed, is what matters, and that a hard pull can stall the wing at any speed.

1 · Know these cold

  • •An accelerated stall is any stall at more than 1 G: at a higher-than-normal airspeed in a steep turn, a pull-up, a dive recovery or any abrupt pull. The coordinated 45° bank with smooth, firm back pressure is just how the ACS demonstrates it.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
  • •Stall speed rises with the square root of the load factor: at 45° of bank the load factor is about 1.4 G and the stall speed about 19% higher.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
  • •Fly it at or below the weight-adjusted maneuvering speed (VA), clean (never with flaps, which have lower G limits), and not at all if the POH prohibits it. At or below VA, one full, abrupt deflection usually stalls the wing before the limit load; repeated, combined or multi-axis inputs, or gusts, can still overstress it.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.VII.D.S4; Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
  • •Accelerated stalls can be sudden and violent, and if uncoordinated one wing can stall first and roll the airplane: recover at the first cue.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
  • •Recovery: Disconnect the autopilot or wing leveler if engaged; reduce the angle of attack until the stall warning stops; if a wing drops, check the yaw with rudder and keep the ailerons near neutral until the wing is flying, then level the wings with coordinated aileron and rudder; add power as needed (watching for left-turning tendency and pitch-up); then return to the desired flight path. The goal is to get the wing flying again, not to save altitude: minimum altitude loss comes from a correct recovery, and holding the nose up to save altitude causes a secondary stall.(AC 120-109A, Stall Prevention and Recovery Training)
  • •Real-world setups: a steep turn to final, a pull-up after a low pass, a hard pull in a recovery (a secondary stall).(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
  • •Commercial standard: a coordinated 45° bank, back pressure increased smoothly and firmly to an impending stall; choose an entry altitude so the task is completed no lower than 3,000 feet AGL (enter at about 3,500 to 4,000).(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.VII.D.S2, S5)

2 · The lesson

The aerodynamics
  • Load factor raises the stall speed with its square root: 1.4 G at 45° bank (about 19% higher), 2 G at 60° (about 41% higher).(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
  • Below VA a single abrupt full deflection stalls the wing before it exceeds the limit load factor; above VA, it could overstress it. VA drops as weight drops (the published one is for maximum gross weight).(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
  • Weight raises the stall speed at any load factor. A forward CG raises it and makes the critical angle harder to reach; an aft CG lowers it slightly but lightens the elevator, makes over-rotation easier and worsens stall and spin recovery.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
  • The break can be sharper than a normal stall, and the airplane may roll toward the low or high wing if not coordinated.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
How it's flown
  • Choose a practice area clear of terrain, obstacles and wires, with a forced-landing option in mind; clear it with clearing turns before each maneuver, and keep looking outside while you fly it, especially when the high nose blocks the view ahead.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
  • Enter high enough to finish no lower than 3,000 feet AGL. Clean configuration, power set so the airspeed stays at or below VA and other POH limits.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.VII.D.S2-S4)
  • Roll into a coordinated 45° bank, then increase back pressure smoothly and firmly until the first stall cue.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.VII.D.S5)
  • Recover at the first cue: Disconnect the autopilot or wing leveler if engaged; reduce the angle of attack until the stall warning stops; if a wing drops, check the yaw with rudder and keep the ailerons near neutral until the wing is flying, then level the wings with coordinated aileron and rudder; add power as needed (watching for left-turning tendency and pitch-up); then return to the desired flight path. The goal is to get the wing flying again, not to save altitude: minimum altitude loss comes from a correct recovery, and holding the nose up to save altitude causes a secondary stall. Then climb at VX or VY and return to the assigned altitude, heading and airspeed.(AC 120-109A, Stall Prevention and Recovery Training)
  • Prevent it: no steep turns at low altitude, no aggressive pulls, and ease out of any dive gradually.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
Warnings, secondary stalls and spins
  • Stall warnings (horn, light) must start at least 5 knots above the stall in each configuration, typically 5 to 10 knots (check the POH), and continue to the stall; they are angle-of-attack driven and can fail, and in an accelerated stall the warning comes at a higher speed. Buffet differs between airplanes. Know the other cues: mushy controls, quieter air noise, a high nose, sink.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
  • A stall warning in a turn means unload: relax back pressure and shallow the bank.(AC 120-109A, Stall Prevention and Recovery Training)
  • A secondary stall is often accelerated: pulling too hard out of a stall recovery. An uncoordinated accelerated stall can roll into a spin quickly.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
  • Cross-control stall: a skidding base-to-final turn with inside rudder, opposite aileron and back pressure; the low wing stalls first and the airplane rolls sharply toward it with little warning. Go around rather than tighten the turn. In the recovery, don't pick up a dropped wing with aileron while it's still stalled: unload first, stop the roll and yaw with rudder, then level the wings with coordinated controls.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), slow flight, stalls and spins)
Environment and attention
  • Turbulence and gusts change the angle of attack suddenly; a microburst or wind shear can drop the airspeed in seconds; at high density altitude there is less power to recover with, and the true airspeed at the stall is higher.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight)
  • Distraction is how stalls happen in real flying: a frequency change, a passenger, traffic. Keep a scan outside and inside, and if in doubt, lower the nose first.(Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A))

Want it all on one page, with scenarios? Read the full lesson.

On the flight

ACS standards

  • Begin no lower than 3,000 feet AGL; airspeed at or below VA and POH limits; a coordinated 45° bank with back pressure increased smoothly and firmly to an impending stall.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.VII.D.S2-S5)
  • Acknowledge the first cue, recover per the POH, configure and accelerate to VX or VY, and return to the assigned altitude, heading and airspeed.(Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), CA.VII.D.S6-S9)

What your instructor is watching for

Your instructor watches for an entry below VA, a coordinated 45° bank, smooth and firm back pressure, recovery at the first cue, wings leveled with coordinated controls, and no secondary stall.

3 · Say it out loud

Answer each one out loud, then check yourself and mark how it went.

  1. Remember Recall it

    “What causes an accelerated stall?”

  2. Understand Explain why

    “Why is it flown below VA?”

  3. Apply Use it on a flight

    “After an engine failure just after takeoff, you think about turning back to the runway. What does this lesson tell you?”

4 · Common mistakes

  • Entering above VA.

    An abrupt pull could overstress the airplane.

    Instead: Set power and speed at or below VA.

  • Pulling abruptly instead of smoothly.

    It can cause a violent break and a wing drop.

    Instead: Smooth, firm back pressure.

  • Holding the bank and back pressure after the cue.

    The stall deepens and can roll into a spin.

    Instead: Unload at the first cue, then level the wings.

5 · Quick check

Answer, then reveal. Flag anything you want to see again.

  1. 1. What is the load factor in a level 45° bank?

  2. 2. What is the minimum altitude for the accelerated stall on the commercial checkride?

  3. 3. What happens to VA as weight decreases?

  4. 4. What bank angle is used for the commercial accelerated stall?

  5. Scenario5. Steep turn to final and the buffet starts. What do you do?

Trained it? Now prove it: practice accelerated stalls out loud with our examiner.

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Connect it

One situation that runs across this lesson and its neighbors in the same ACS area. Decide first, then check.

Connect it · Slow Flight & Stalls

Turning to avoid traffic, you pull hard in a steep bank at cruise power and the airframe buffets well above the published stall speed.

What happened, what's the recovery, and what makes it dangerous? Decide, then see the worked answer

An accelerated stall: the wing reached its critical angle of attack under a higher load factor, so at an airspeed above the 1 G stall speed. Stall speed rises with the square root of the load factor: about 1.41 times the 1 G stall speed at 2 G, twice it at 4 G. Accelerated stalls tend to break more abruptly and more severely than 1 G stalls, often with a wing drop, and can cost a lot of altitude. Recover by unloading first: release back pressure until the buffet and the stall stop. Then roll the wings level with coordinated controls, then add power as needed. Power doesn't unstall a wing; only reducing the angle of attack does. A spin needs a stalled wing plus yaw, so uncoordinated rudder at that moment, or aileron used to pick up a dropping wing while still stalled, can roll it into one. Speed matters too. At or below maneuvering speed, the wing stalls before the airplane reaches its limit load factor, which protects the structure. Above it, a hard pull can exceed the limit load factor before the wing reaches its critical angle of attack, with no stall to protect you. Maneuvering speed decreases as weight decreases.

AFH (FAA-H-8083-3C), Maintaining Aircraft Control; PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aerodynamics of Flight

Brings together: Accelerated Stalls · Spin Awareness

Teaching this? The instructor lesson plan →

Study aid, not FAA guidance. Sources: Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C); Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C); AC 120-109A; AC 61-67C; Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B); Your airplane's POH/AFM. Checked against current sources 2026-11-13.