What is a likely consequence if the airplane reaches a stall and you do not recover properly?

• A. Loss of control; stick shaker may occur.
• B. Insufficient fuel leading to engine flameout.
• C. Automatic retraction of flaps.
• D. Immediate landing gear retraction.

Answer: (A)

When a wing reaches its critical angle of attack, it cannot generate enough lift and the airplane can rapidly lose airspeed. With reduced lift and diminishing control effectiveness, you can depart from controlled flight and, if the stall isn’t recovered promptly, a spin or loss of overall control can occur. The stick shaker is a stall-warning device that often activates as you approach the stall, serving to alert you to begin recovery. Thus, an unrecovered stall in flight is most likely to lead to loss of control, with the stick shaker potentially sounding as part of the warning.

The other options don’t fit because they describe issues not caused by a stall: engine flameout due to fuel or engine problems, automatic retraction of flaps, or immediate retraction of landing gear are not direct consequences of a stall.