Definition
An uncommanded bank of the airplane in which one wing drops sharply at or near the stall, rotating the airplane about its longitudinal axis without pilot input. A roll-off typically occurs because one wing stalls before the other, losing lift asymmetrically.
Plain English
A wing suddenly dropping on its own as the airplane stalls. The airplane rolls toward the stalled wing without the pilot moving the controls to make it do so.
Context Anchor
Seen in stall training and stall descriptions, especially when discussing how an airplane may behave as the stall begins or breaks.
Derivation
From 'roll' (rotation about the airplane's longitudinal axis, nose to tail) and 'off' (away from level). The term describes the airplane rolling away from level flight on its own.
Why Pilots Care
Recognizing a roll-off allows the pilot to apply immediate aileron and rudder correction to prevent entry into a spin.
Grounding Statement
Picture the nose still generally forward, but one wing drops first and the airplane starts leaning sharply toward that side.
Intuition Check
Rolls-off does not mean the airplane simply turns. It means the airplane drops or rotates to one side around its nose-to-tail line.
Example Sentence 1
During the power-on stall, the airplane exhibited a sharp roll-off to the left, and the pilot recovered by reducing angle of attack and using coordinated rudder.
Example Sentence 2
The instructor demonstrated how a slight uncoordinated turn at the stall break can make the airplane rolls-off more aggressively.