Definition
An uncommanded rolling motion of the airplane around its longitudinal axis, typically occurring at or near the stall when one wing stalls before the other and drops, causing the airplane to bank without pilot input.
Plain English
When an airplane is stalling, one wing can quit flying before the other, and that wing drops on its own. The airplane rolls to one side even though the pilot didn't ask it to.
Context Anchor
Used during full-stall practice when describing what the airplane may do at the stall break.
Derivation
In aviation, roll means rotation around the airplane’s lengthwise axis, the line running from nose to tail. Off means away from the previous attitude, so roll off points to the airplane moving away from wings-level flight by rolling to one side.
Why Pilots Care
Uncorrected roll off can rapidly progress into a spin entry, especially if the pilot uses aileron instead of rudder.
Intuition Check
Do not read roll off as taxiing away or simply moving off something. In this context, it means the airplane unexpectedly rolling to one side as the stall breaks.
Example Sentence 1
As the airplane reached the full stall, the left wing dropped sharply in a roll off, and the pilot recovered by reducing angle of attack and applying coordinated rudder.
Example Sentence 2
Prompt opposite rudder stopped the roll off and kept the wings level during recovery.