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advisory circular

AC 61-67 Stall and spin awareness, prevention, and recovery training

AC 61-67 Version Change 2
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Purpose and Background

Purpose, related FAA references, regulatory background, and public-comment information for stall and spin awareness training.

Purpose and Background

AC 61-67C; issued September 25, 2000; initiated by AFS-810.

1. Purpose

This advisory circular (AC) explains the stall and spin awareness training required under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 61 and offers guidance to flight instructors who provide it. This AC also informs pilots of the airworthiness standards for the type certification of normal, utility, and acrobatic category airplanes prescribed in 14 CFR part 23, § 23.221, concerning spin maneuvers, and it emphasizes the importance of observing restrictions that prohibit the intentional spins of certain airplanes.

2. Related Reading Material (Current Editions)

  1. Report No. FAA-RD-77-26, General Aviation Pilot Stall Awareness Training Study. This document may be purchased from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), U.S. Department of Commerce, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, Virginia 22161. To order by telephone call: (800) 553-6847. The NTIS identification number is ADA041310.
  2. The following documents are available on the Internet at http://www.faa.gov/.
  1. AC 61-65, Certification: Pilots and Flight and Ground Instructors.
  2. FAA-H-8083-1, Aircraft Weight and Balance Handbook.
  3. FAA-H-8083-3, Airplane Flying Handbook.
  4. FAA-H-8083-9, Aviation Instructor’s Handbook.
  5. FAA-S-8081-3, Recreational Pilot - Practical Test Standards for Airplane and Rotorcraft.
  6. FAA-S-8081-6, Flight Instructor - Practical Test Standards for Airplane (Single-Engine/Multiengine).
  7. FAA-S-8081-8, Flight Instructor - Practical Test Standards for Glider.
  8. FAA-S-8081-12, Commercial Pilot - Practical Test Standards for Airplane.
  9. FAA-S-8081-14, Private Pilot - Practical Test Standards for Airplane.
  10. FAA-S-8081-22, Private Pilot - Practical Test Standards for Glider.
  11. FAA-S-8081-23, Commercial Pilot - Practical Test Standards for Glider.
  12. FAA-S-8081-29, Sport Pilot - Practical Test Standards for Airplane, Gyroplane, Glider, Flight Instructor.
  13. FAA-S-8081-31, Sport Pilot - Practical Standards for Weight Shift Control, Powered Parachute, Flight Instructor.

3. Background

In January 1980, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced its policy of incorporating the use of certain distractions during the performance of flight test maneuvers. This policy came about as a result of Report No. FAA-RD-77-26, General Aviation Pilot Stall Awareness Study, which revealed that stall/spin related accidents accounted for approximately one-quarter of all fatal general aviation accidents. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) statistics indicate that most stall/spin accidents result when a pilot is distracted momentarily from the primary task of flying the aircraft. Changes to part 61, completed in 1991, included increased stall and spin awareness training for recreational, private, and commercial Pilot Certificate applicants. The training is intended to emphasize recognition of situations that could lead to an inadvertent stall and/or spin by using realistic distractions such as those suggested in Report No. FAA-RD-77-26 and incorporated into the performance of flight test maneuvers. Although the training is intended to emphasize stall and spin awareness and recovery techniques for all pilots, only flight instructor-airplane and flight instructor-glider candidates are required to demonstrate instructional proficiency in spin entry, spins, and spin recovery techniques as a requirement for certification. Part 61 was extensively updated in 1997. Sections of part 23 (Airworthiness Standards: Normal, Utility, Acrobatic, and Commuter Category Airplanes) that apply to spin requirements and placards have changed. This AC incorporates those changes.

4. Comments Invited

Comments regarding this publication should be directed to: Federal Aviation Administration General Aviation and Commercial Division, AFS-800 800 Independence Ave., S.W. Washington, DC 20591 Every comment will not necessarily generate a direct acknowledgment to the commenter. Comments received will be considered in the development of upcoming AC revisions or other related technical material.

5. Internet

AC 61-67C, Stall and Spin Awareness Training, can be accessed on the Internet at http://rgl.faa.gov/.