AVOIDING STALL & SPIN FROM THE AIR
Stalling and spinning are aerodynamic phenomena that are unfortunately found to be common causes of fatalities. This is due to departures from controlled flight in all categories of aeroplanes.
Fatalities that are caused as a result of stall and spin generally occur at heights that are too low to recover from. At circuit height, the only way to prevent an unnecessary fatality is to avoid spin. Spin recovery inputs may not recover in time before impact with the ground.
Avoiding stall-spin accidents requires finessing of slow flight in situations. This involves changes in the power and trim state at times of high workload. It also involves attention to be paid to the things inside and outside of the aeroplane. In these scenarios, it is easy to lose track of airspeed.
As part of a pilot’s situational awareness, trim, aircraft energy state and speed must be taken into consideration. The best advice is to practice slow flying in a variety of scenarios at a safe altitude.
CASA’s Advisory Circular AC 61-16 v1.0 provides information on LSA certification and the technical aspects of spin. It also states that ultralight aircraft are not spun for certification testing.
For the visual pilots amongst us, a poster has been developed to illustrate the types of flying to practice to avoid spin, the outcome we all want.
To get your copy visit: shop.casa.gov.au
