Definition
A stall that occurs after recovery from a previous stall, caused by the pilot increasing the angle of attack too quickly or too steeply while attempting to return to normal flight, before the wing has regained smooth airflow.
Plain English
A second stall that happens right after recovering from the first one, because the pilot pulled up too soon or too hard and stalled the wing again.
Context Anchor
Seen in stall training, especially when practicing stall recovery and learning how to avoid over-controlling the airplane after the first stall.
Derivation
‘Secondary’ comes from Latin secundarius, meaning ‘following the first.’ The name simply tells you this stall comes second — a follow-on stall caused by the recovery itself.
Why Pilots Care
Improper recovery technique can cause loss of additional altitude and heighten the risk of entering a spin.
Grounding Statement
The airplane may feel like it is flying again, but if the pilot asks too much of the wing too soon, the wing can quit flying again.
Intuition Check
Secondary does not mean less important or less dangerous here. It means a stall that happens after the first stall, usually because the recovery was rushed or over-controlled.
Example Sentence 1
The student entered a secondary stall when she pulled back on the yoke too quickly while recovering from the first stall.
Example Sentence 2
Instructors teach smooth forward pressure on the yoke during recovery to prevent secondary stalls.