OpenTube

The Stall Spin Mistake Killing Pilots Every Year (Wing Drop Correction)

Flying With Shawn

26,931 views

Stall and spin accidents don't make sense. Every pilot is warned about spins from day one of training — and yet pilots keep dying every year. The mistake isn't a lack of knowledge. It's a gap between what we know and what our hands and feet actually do when the wing drops.

In this video, I break down the real chain of events that turns a normal stall into a spin. We teach spin recovery (PARE — Power, Ailerons neutral, Rudder opposite, Elevator forward), but we don't spend enough time teaching pilots to recognize the chain of events and correct for them before it becomes a spin. This video is about closing that gap — so you don't become another statistic.

Topics covered:
• The stall spin mistake that's killing pilots every year — and why it's preventable
• What actually causes a spin (the full chain: aileron → differential lift → wing drop → yaw → spin)
• Why aileron input at slow speeds is the sneaky trigger most pilots miss
• The base-to-final scenario where stall/spin accidents actually happen
• Why rudder — not aileron — is your first response to wing drop
• Why getting reps practicing stalls is the single most important thing you can do to prevent a spin
• The spin training gap: what we teach vs. what's actually killing pilots

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:18 What Causes Spins?
2:04 Step 1 - Stall
2:44 Step 2 - Uncoordinated Stall
3:32 Step 3 - Uncorrected Wing Drop
6:07 Step 4 - Spin
7:00 The Answer To The Spin Problem
9:03 Wing Drop Exercise Demonstration
11:30 Takeaways for Spin Awareness

Whether you're a student pilot preparing for your checkride, a private pilot building confidence, or a CFI looking for better ways to teach stall/spin awareness — this video will change how you think about spins.

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—
Flying with Shawn is all about practical aviation training, real-world pilot tips, and the adventure of flight. From private pilot training and checkride prep to behind-the-scenes flying content and aviation insights, this channel is here to help you grow in confidence and skill as a pilot.

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#spintraining #stallspin #spinrecovery #pilottraining #flighttraining #aviationsafety #stalltraining #pilotlife #cfi #generalaviation

20 Comments

@TheUglyCub 3 months ago

I think it's important to point out that although a plane can stall in a slip it is a much more safe situation than while in a skid given that the high wing has the higher angle of attack and so when it stalls first it will have a tendency to return the plane to a wing-level state and thus not nearly as likely to spin as when skidding.Great video, thanks....subscribed!

@wolfschlickenrieder1380 3 months ago

I will be eternally grateful for the flight instructor who showed me spins. I was so shocked: It was immediately clear that it is ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE to "invent" the correct procedure IN A SPIN, within the 60-or-so seconds you have left to live if you don't.

@davethibeault2484 3 months ago

There's not enough emphasis on prevention of spin accidents, one being correcting for wind drift on the downwind, especially when you'll have a tailwind on base causing a pilot to overshoot on final. And use bank to increase your rate of turn on final, not rudder. If your ailerons are sloppy fix the root of the problem first and get the stick/yoke forward. You'll be kind of hanging there in a descending turn for a few seconds but your ailerons won't be dysfunctional anymore. The instinctive reaction to an unintentional wing drop will be aileron, especially when it completely catches someone off guard at 500agl. Prevention is key. And stick forward will always work. Great channel. Enjoy your content.

@dildog 3 months ago

This a great lesson for all pilots but especially for new pilots. Thanks for creating this content. Yours and Phil Unicomb’s videos on stalling are a real asset to the aviation community.

@conservativesuperlative2063 3 months ago

I just did my first discovery flight last Saturday in a 172. My CFI asked if I wanted to go see some “cool scenery”. Because of guys like you and Hoover from Pilot debrief (among others) I instead asked if I could do some stalls and see what my natural reaction was and if I could actually apply what I’ve learned instead. I’m super thankful that he was willing to let me do it. Practiced a couple of power off and full power stalls. I had no problem recovering. I figured I should see how I handled it mentally before investing time and money into lessons. Thank you so much for your videos, you are saving lives and helping make dreams come true.

@Freedom4Ever420 3 months ago (edited)

Real spins should be demonstrated to a student before their first solo. I didn’t see my first spin until halfway through my CFI training.

@David_Lee379 3 months ago

At 10:18 it’s cool to see how quickly the airplane recovers when you push the elevator forward and step on the rudder right away.

@MichaelR-x1c 3 months ago

First time watching one of your video's. I really appreciate how you actually get up in the air and show us what you are talking about and letting us see it in action. Looking forward to watching more.

@LangRieper 3 months ago

I watched a technique for practicing this, falling leaf stalls, holding the plane in a stall and "tap dancing" the rudder to keep the wings from dropping.

@daffidavit 3 months ago (edited)

This is a very well-explained video. Interesting, approximately 50% of stallspins in the traffic pattern occur during takeoff and climb. It's much less in the go-around. Less than 4% of all traffic pattern stallspins occur turning downwind to base. These are rarer than commonly believed, but extremely dangerous. The skidding turn is dangerous at low altitude if the plane stalls for the reasons set forth above. When the aircraft engine quits during takeoff at low altitudes, the typical pilot waits many seconds before he/she reacts. Unless well trained to lower the nose (reduce AOA) immediately, the stallspin will likely occur. The pilot should be prepared before takeoff to expect an engine failure and expect to land straight ahead, unless there is sufficient altitude to make a safer choice. See: AOPA Stall and Spin report.

@ClearedAsFiled 3 months ago

Shawn, EXCELLENT advice and training 👌

@foodhead4677 3 months ago

I like your teaching style keep it going

@hsegura6956 3 months ago

When I was training in the 70’s, we were taught spins and recovery. They don’t do that any more, but should. It’s important to know how it feels to purposely spin a plane so you can recognize it before an unintended spin and stall.

@wendyvic4046 3 months ago

Another great video. I love your emphasis on "practice, practice, practice". During my flight career I would often take to the sky and just spend an hour or so practicing stalls, wing overs, steep spirals, spins, etc. I tell people it's kinda like martial arts; it doesn't matter what you know, it's how you practice what you know. Again, thanks for another great video.

@onthemoney7237 3 months ago

Excellent I never had it explained that way thank you 👍🇺🇸

@austingreathouse 3 months ago

Completely agree here. I like to demonstrate spins and skidding/slipping stalls and how they differ. Likewise, somewhere usually after solo, I have my students repeatedly do power on stalls. As soon as the nose comes over, they go right back into the stall again. Basically constant secondary stalls. Training them not to use aileron, instead rudder, also keep the airplane going straight using rudder and Lindbergh reference. You get really good at not allowing a wing to drop and keeping coordinated that way.

@ozradar 3 months ago

As a glider pilot, we learn full spins before we are allowed to fly solo. I think the best way to think about it is when you are progressively pulling the stick or yoke back, there will be a point where it “breaks” and the aircrafts nose starts to fall even though the stick/yoke is fully back. To “re-engage” the stick/yoke, ease the stick forward whilst using opposite rudder to contain the spin and then the stick will “re-attach” and become usable again. Just a mental thought that may be useful to some people.

@amicholmes 3 months ago

great vid for real!

@kenhurley4441 3 months ago

2 of my Uncles came out of WWII as airplane mechanics. They also had their PPL. When I started taking lessons they encouraged me to do 720 stall spins (with my instructor). My instructor said it wasn't necessary to get my PPL. However I told him I wanted to learn. After 30 minutes of doing them we were both glad to get back on the ground.

@scottnaucler5772 3 months ago

You make some great points. I like the way you talk about things and your emphasis on repetition.

One thing I would like to mention is that in both my 150 and my Citabria i can go to stall in a full slip without the aircraft spinning. I have tried this multiple times.

I think spin training in current flight schools is is ridiculous. It teaches almost nothing about spin recovery. It is just a one flight event that is endured, not a true learning experience. You cannot learn much in the spins. If you are a CFI, you should easily be able to exit a spin on a predetermined heading. Learning to do that will give you a good understanding of spin recovery. Spins will become a maneuver to fly through, not a situation to recover from.