Definition
A stall that occurs in a skidding turn when the pilot uses excessive rudder in the direction of the turn while applying opposite aileron to keep the bank angle from steepening, typically while overshooting the final approach course. The mismatched control inputs increase the angle of attack on the inside (lowered) wing, which stalls first and drops sharply, often producing a rapid roll toward the inside of the turn at low altitude.
Plain English
A stall that happens when a pilot pushes too much rudder one way and holds the wings level (or tries to) with opposite aileron during a turn -- usually trying to tighten a turn onto final approach. The inside wing stalls first and drops fast, which can flip the airplane toward the ground.
Context Anchor
Most often discussed in the traffic pattern, especially when a pilot overshoots the turn from base to final and tries to force the airplane back toward the runway with rudder.
Derivation
Skidding' comes from the airplane sliding outward through a turn -- the tail swinging wide because too much rudder is pushing the nose around faster than the bank would naturally turn it. 'Cross-control' refers to the rudder and ailerons being applied in opposite directions. Naming both together describes exactly the setup that causes the stall.
Why Pilots Care
This stall can rapidly transition into a spin with little altitude for recovery, especially near the ground.
Grounding Statement
Picture an airplane turning toward final approach: the nose is being pushed around with rudder, the bank is being held back with opposite aileron, and the wing finally reaches an angle where it stops flying cleanly.
Intuition Check
Do not think of this as a normal stall that just happens in a turn. The key danger is the crossed-control, skidding condition: rudder is forcing the turn while opposite aileron is masking the bank, making the stall more sudden and uneven.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor demonstrated a skidding cross-control stall at altitude so the student could feel how quickly the inside wing drops when too much rudder is added during a turn.
Example Sentence 2
During the stall series, the instructor demonstrated a skidding cross-control stall to show how quickly the wing can drop and initiate a spin.