← All explained questions · Supplemental · VII — Slow Flight, Stalls, and Spins

If you experience a SECONDARY STALL during recovery from a primary stall, the cause is

Choices

the airplane was too heavy.
Weight isn't the cause of secondary stall in recovery.
✓ premature attempt to return to level flight by pulling back on the elevator before the airplane had regained sufficient airspeed.correct
re-exceeded critical AoA, re-stalled. Recover correctly: smooth pitch reduction, accelerate well past stall airspeed, then return to level. Secondary stall = stalling AGAIN during recovery from a primary stall. Cause: pilot pulled back too hard, too soon, while still near critical AoA. Cure: smooth, patient recovery — break the stall, let airspeed accelerate well above Vs (typically 1.3 × Vs as a buffer), then smoothly return to level. Don't rush. ACS standard: maintain ±5° pitch in recovery.
the engine failed.
Engine failure is unrelated.
wing icing.
Icing is a separate issue.

Why

re-exceeded critical AoA, re-stalled. Recover correctly: smooth pitch reduction, accelerate well past stall airspeed, then return to level. Secondary stall = stalling AGAIN during recovery from a primary stall. Cause: pilot pulled back too hard, too soon, while still near critical AoA. Cure: smooth, patient recovery — break the stall, let airspeed accelerate well above Vs (typically 1.3 × Vs as a buffer), then smoothly return to level. Don't rush. ACS standard: maintain ±5° pitch in recovery.

FAA source: FAA-H-8083-3C, Ch. 4, Maintaining Aircraft Control - Secondary Stallbrowse the reference library →

Covered in Supplemental · VII — Slow Flight, Stalls, and Spins — study the lessons free, then practice with grading and mastery tracking.

Original study question written for this course — representative of FAA knowledge-test topics, not an actual current FAA exam question.