Definition
A disruption of airflow through a turbine engine's compressor in which the smooth flow of air across the compressor blades breaks down, causing a momentary loss of compression. This can be caused by induction icing, foreign object damage, damaged blades, or operating the engine outside its designed airflow envelope. Symptoms include loud bangs, abnormal engine vibration, rising exhaust gas temperature, and loss of thrust.
Plain English
The fan-like blades inside a jet engine stop pulling air through smoothly. Instead of a steady stream of air being squeezed and pushed back, the airflow breaks down, and the engine loses power until normal flow is restored.
Context Anchor
Seen in turbine-engine icing discussions, especially when ice or disturbed air at the inlet affects airflow into the engine.
Derivation
‘Compressor’ comes from Latin comprimere, meaning ‘to press together’ — the front section of a turbine engine that squeezes incoming air before combustion. ‘Stall’ here is borrowed from wing aerodynamics: just as a wing stalls when airflow over it breaks down, a compressor blade (which is essentially a small spinning wing) stalls when airflow across it breaks down.
Why Pilots Care
It produces an immediate and unexpected loss of thrust that can lead to altitude loss or engine damage if not recognized and corrected quickly.
Grounding Statement
Picture ice or uneven air at the engine inlet disturbing the stream of air before it reaches the compressor, causing the engine to gulp air unevenly instead of breathing smoothly.
Intuition Check
Do not read “stall” here as a wing stall. An engine compressor stall is an airflow problem inside a turbine engine, not a loss of lift by the airplane’s wing.
Example Sentence 1
When ice built up on the engine inlet, the disrupted airflow caused a compressor stall, which the crew heard as a sharp bang followed by yawing.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot recognized the symptoms of an engine compressor stall and selected alternate air to restore smooth engine operation.