Definition
A stall that occurs after an initial stall recovery, typically because the pilot attempted to return to the original flightpath too quickly or applied excessive back pressure on the elevator before the wing had fully regained smooth airflow and adequate flying speed.
Plain English
A second stall that happens right after recovering from the first one, usually because the pilot pulled up too hard or too soon and forced the wing back into a stall before it was ready.
Context Anchor
Encountered in stall recovery training, especially when practicing how to recover without pulling back too aggressively after the first stall.
Derivation
Secondary comes from the Latin secundarius, meaning 'of the second order' or 'following.' Here it simply means a stall that follows the first one — a second stall caused by the recovery itself.
Why Pilots Care
A secondary stall adds altitude loss and can quickly turn into a spin if recovery technique remains improper.
Intuition Check
Secondary does not mean minor or less dangerous here. It means another stall after the first one, usually caused by an improper or rushed recovery.
Example Sentence 1
The student induced a secondary stall by pulling back too quickly after the initial recovery, before the airplane had regained flying speed.
Example Sentence 2
Proper stall recovery requires lowering the nose first so that a secondary stall does not occur.