Although recovery from this conditi

Although recovery from this condition was immediate if the angle of attack was decreased by releasing back pressure on the control stick, the pilot was still required to patiently wait for the stabilization of the ensuing dive, which accelerated the craft and allowed the pilot to pull up to level, controlled flight. An impatient recovery attempt or excessive pull on the stick resulted in an immediate return to the stalled condition. As airspeed decreased, due to the increased drag of consecutive stalls, aircraft control was often lost, and unpredictable gyrations frequently resulted. This phenomenon—the accelerated stall—remained unknown in these early years, and the death toll mounted because of it. Arnold was the only Army pilot lucky enough to survive his brush with this unexplained phenomenon.5