Definition
A stall that can occur during a go-around or other high-power, low-airspeed situation when the airplane is trimmed nose-up for approach and the pilot fails to apply enough forward elevator pressure to counter the strong nose-up pitching tendency caused by the trim setting combined with full power. If uncorrected, the nose pitches up steeply, airspeed decays, and the airplane stalls.
Plain English
When you go around from a landing, the airplane is still trimmed for slow approach flight. If you add full power without firmly pushing the nose down, the trim and the power together pitch the nose up so far that the wing stops flying and the airplane stalls.
Context Anchor
Encountered during training for go-arounds and rejected landings, especially after a slow approach where nose-up trim may have been set.
Derivation
“Elevator” comes from a word meaning “to raise,” which fits the tail control that raises or lowers the airplane’s nose. “Trim” comes from the idea of putting something in proper balance or order. In this term, the airplane’s nose-balance setting helps create the stall risk.
Why Pilots Care
Improper trim use during recovery can cause loss of control and is a preventable factor in training accidents.
Grounding Statement
Picture adding power after a slow landing approach and feeling the airplane’s nose try to rise higher than you intended.
Intuition Check
“Trim” here does not mean decoration or cutting something down; it means adjusting control pressure so the airplane tends to hold a desired pitch. “Stall” here does not mean the engine quits; it means the wing is no longer producing enough lift because the nose is too high for the airflow.
Example Sentence 1
During the go-around, the instructor demonstrated how quickly an elevator trim stall can develop if the pilot doesn't push firmly forward when applying full power.
Example Sentence 2
Proper technique prevents an elevator trim stall by keeping forward pressure on the yoke until airspeed is regained.