A stall will occur when the critical angle of attack is exceeded.

A stall will occur when the critical angle of attack is exceeded.

• A. When the critical angle of attack is exceeded.
• B. The airspeed drops below stall speed.
• C. The bank angle exceeds 60 degrees.
• D. Power is reduced to idle

Answer: (A)

Exceeding the wing’s critical angle of attack is what triggers a stall. The angle of attack is how far the wing’s chord is tilted into the oncoming air. When you pitch up and push the angle beyond its critical value, the airflow can no longer stay attached to the wing surface. The boundary layer separates, lift collapses, and the airplane abruptly loses its ability to sustain flight, often causing the nose to drop and the stall to develop. The other conditions can influence how or when a stall happens, but they don’t define the onset. If you fly too slowly for the current configuration (the stall speed), you’re more susceptible, and a bank or reducing power can affect the ease of stalling or the recovery, but the fundamental cause remains exceeding the critical angle of attack.

Exceeding the wing’s critical angle of attack is what triggers a stall. The angle of attack is how far the wing’s chord is tilted into the oncoming air. When you pitch up and push the angle beyond its critical value, the airflow can no longer stay attached to the wing surface. The boundary layer separates, lift collapses, and the airplane abruptly loses its ability to sustain flight, often causing the nose to drop and the stall to develop.

The other conditions can influence how or when a stall happens, but they don’t define the onset. If you fly too slowly for the current configuration (the stall speed), you’re more susceptible, and a bank or reducing power can affect the ease of stalling or the recovery, but the fundamental cause remains exceeding the critical angle of attack.