Can commercial jets stall at takeoff?
Aerodynamic stalls in commercial jets are essentially unknown under anything resembling normal conditions. Stall occurs when the angle of attack of the wings (the angle they form with the oncoming flow of air) exceeds a certain critical angle. The takeoff angle of the jet, however, is not the same as the angle of attack, because the aircraft is climbing and the air flow towards the wings is actually coming from above the aircraft, not directly in front of it. As a result, the angle of attack of the jet is considerably smaller than the takeoff angle, and is nowhere near the stall angle. Typically, the only way a stall can occur on takeoff is if there is a complete engine failure (all engines, not just one) or if a problem with the controls forces the aircraft into an extreme angle of attack. Both of these problems have occurred in the past on rare occasions. The exact critical angle of attack at which a wing will stall depends on the wing, but 20-30 degrees would not be unusual. Remembe
