Definition
A flight control input condition in which the ailerons and rudder are deflected in opposite directions — for example, left aileron applied with right rudder. Used intentionally in maneuvers such as slips, but unintentional cross-controlled inputs at low airspeed can lead to a stall and spin.
Plain English
The pilot is banking the airplane one way with the control wheel while pushing the rudder pedal the other way, so the two controls are working against each other rather than together.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of slips, uncoordinated turns, stall and spin awareness, and approach-to-landing corrections.
Why Pilots Care
Cross-controlled inputs raise the risk of an unintentional spin, especially during low-altitude turns from base to final.
Grounding Statement
In a cross-controlled condition, the airplane is being given mixed left-right commands: roll one way, yaw the other.
Intuition Check
Cross controlled does not mean two pilots are fighting over the controls. It means the airplane’s roll control and nose-direction control are being applied opposite each other.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor demonstrated a forward slip on final, holding left aileron with right rudder in a cross-controlled configuration to lose altitude without gaining airspeed.
Example Sentence 2
The student entered a cross-controlled stall by holding full opposite rudder while rolling into a turn.