In a descending turn, which wing stalls first?

In a descending turn, the low wing is the first to stall. This occurs primarily because of the combined effects of increased load factor and the angle of attack. During a turn, the aircraft experiences a bank which results in a higher load factor on the lower wing due to gravity pulling the aircraft downward.

As the aircraft descends in a turn, the lower wing encounters a greater angle of attack relative to the airflow because the aircraft's nose is moving downward while the wing is still trying to maintain lift. Since the wing that is lower in the turn is subjected to a higher load factor and has a higher angle of attack compared to the higher wing, it is more susceptible to reaching the critical angle of attack and stalling first.

In contrast, the higher wing typically has a lower angle of attack and experiences less aerodynamic load under the same conditions, making it less likely to stall simultaneously with the low wing. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for pilots to manage aircraft during turns, especially in maneuvers that involve significant banking or descending.