Definition
A stall/spin is an accident sequence in which an aircraft's wing exceeds its critical angle of attack (the stall) and, with uncoordinated flight at that moment, one wing drops and the aircraft enters an autorotating descent (the spin). The two events are paired because a spin cannot occur without a stall first, and stalls that happen with rudder or aileron misuse near the ground frequently develop into spins before recovery is possible.
Plain English
It's the dangerous combination of a wing losing its lift and the aircraft then rolling and rotating downward. The wing quits flying first, and then the aircraft starts spinning toward the ground.
Context Anchor
Seen in flight training, especially in discussions of distractions, slow flight, turns near the ground, and loss-of-control accident prevention.
Derivation
“Stall” originally means to stop or come to a standstill. In flying, it does not mean the engine stopped; it means the wing’s normal lift has broken down. “Spin” means to turn rapidly, which matches the airplane’s rotating descent in this condition.
Why Pilots Care
Stall/spin events remain a leading cause of fatal loss-of-control accidents, especially in the traffic pattern when attention is divided.
Intuition Check
Do not read “stall” as an engine quitting. In a stall/spin, the main problem is the wing losing normal lift, followed by the airplane rotating downward.
Example Sentence 1
Most stall/spin accidents happen in the traffic pattern, where pilots are distracted and flying close to the ground.
Example Sentence 2
The instructor demonstrated a stall/spin recovery after creating a distraction during the approach.