{"id":18849659,"date":"2026-09-01T11:04:32","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T09:04:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T08:43:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T06:43:31","slug":"compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Compressor Stall: Why a Jet Engine Coughs Fire"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\n\n<style>\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid #0F1720;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;transition:background .15s,color .15s}\n.mfsh-trigger:hover,.mfsh-trigger:focus-visible{background:#0F1720;color:#fff;outline:none}\n.mfsh-trigger svg{width:18px;height:18px;display:block;flex-shrink:0}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-bottom{margin:8px 0 28px}\n.mfsh-meta{position:relative;padding-right:190px}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta{position:absolute;right:0;bottom:0;margin:0;height:30px;padding:0 8.9px;font-size:13px}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta svg{width:16px;height:16px}\n.mfsh-overlay{position:fixed;inset:0;background:rgba(15,23,32,.55);z-index:99999;display:flex;align-items:flex-end;justify-content:center;opacity:0;pointer-events:none;transition:opacity .2s}\n.mfsh-overlay.mfsh-open{opacity:1;pointer-events:auto}\n.mfsh-sheet{width:100%;max-width:520px;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;padding:18px 20px 28px;transform:translateY(24px);transition:transform .22s;box-shadow:0 12px 32px rgba(15,23,32,.25);font-family:inherit;max-height:92vh;overflow:auto;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch}\n.mfsh-overlay.mfsh-open .mfsh-sheet{transform:none}\n@media (min-width:640px){.mfsh-overlay{align-items:center}.mfsh-sheet{padding-bottom:20px}}\n.mfsh-head{display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;margin:0 0 14px}\n.mfsh-head strong{font-size:18px;font-weight:800;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;line-height:1}\n.mfsh-head strong svg{width:18px;height:18px}\n.mfsh-close{background:none;border:0;padding:6px;margin:0;cursor:pointer;color:#0F1720;line-height:0;box-shadow:none}\n.mfsh-close svg{width:18px;height:18px}\n.mfsh-preview{display:grid;grid-template-columns:96px 1fr;gap:12px;border:1px solid #DCE3EE;background:#F5F7FB;padding:10px;margin:0 0 12px;align-items:center}\n.mfsh-preview img{width:96px;height:72px;object-fit:cover;display:block;margin:0}\n.mfsh-preview .mfsh-kicker{font-size:10px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.14em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#5C91FF;margin:0 0 4px;line-height:1.2}\n.mfsh-preview .mfsh-title{font-size:14px;line-height:1.3;font-weight:700;margin:0;display:block}\n.mfsh-list{display:grid;margin:0;padding:0}\n.mfsh-item{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:14px;height:50px;width:100%;border:0;border-top:1px solid #DCE3EE;background:none;padding:0 4px;margin:0;text-align:left;font-family:inherit;font-size:15px;font-weight:600;color:#0F1720;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;line-height:1}\n.mfsh-item:hover,.mfsh-item:focus-visible{background:#F5F7FB;outline:none}\n.mfsh-item svg{width:20px;height:20px;color:#5C91FF;flex-shrink:0;display:block}\n.mfsh-item small{margin-left:auto;color:#5B6674;font-weight:500;font-size:12px}\n.mfsh-item.mfsh-done svg{color:#1E9E5A}\n.mfsh-toast{position:fixed;left:50%;bottom:32px;transform:translate(-50%,10px);background:#0F1720;color:#fff;padding:10px 16px;font-weight:700;font-size:13px;font-family:inherit;opacity:0;pointer-events:none;transition:opacity .2s,transform .2s;z-index:100000}\n.mfsh-toast.mfsh-show{opacity:1;transform:translate(-50%,0)}\n@media (prefers-reduced-motion:reduce){.mfsh-overlay,.mfsh-sheet,.mfsh-toast,.mfsh-trigger{transition:none}}\n<\/style>\n<svg width=\"0\" height=\"0\" style=\"position:absolute\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-share\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.9\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"M12 3v12M8 7l4-4 4 4M5 12v8h14v-8\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-close\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"m5 5 14 14M19 5 5 19\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-wa\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M12 2a10 10 0 0 0-8.6 15.1L2 22l5.1-1.3A10 10 0 1 0 12 2Zm0 1.8a8.2 8.2 0 1 1-4.2 15.3l-.3-.2-3 .8.8-2.9-.2-.3A8.2 8.2 0 0 1 12 3.8Zm-3 4.4c-.2 0-.5 0-.8.4-.3.3-1 1-1 2.4s1 2.8 1.2 3c.1.2 2 3.2 5 4.4 2.5 1 3 .8 3.5.7.5 0 1.7-.7 2-1.4.2-.7.2-1.3.1-1.4l-.5-.3-2-1c-.3 0-.5-.1-.7.2l-.9 1.1c-.2.2-.3.2-.6.1-.3-.2-1.3-.5-2.4-1.5-.9-.8-1.5-1.8-1.7-2-.2-.4 0-.5.2-.7l.4-.5.3-.5v-.5l-.9-2.2c-.2-.5-.4-.5-.6-.5H9Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-x\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M17.8 3h3l-6.7 7.7L22 21h-6.2l-4.8-6.3L5.4 21h-3l7.2-8.2L2 3h6.3l4.4 5.8L17.8 3Zm-1.1 16.2h1.7L7.4 4.7H5.6l11.1 14.5Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-fb\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M13.5 22v-8h2.7l.4-3.2h-3.1V8.8c0-.9.3-1.6 1.6-1.6h1.7V4.4c-.3 0-1.3-.1-2.5-.1-2.5 0-4.1 1.5-4.1 4.2v2.3H7.4V14h2.8v8h3.3Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-li\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M6.5 8.5H3V21h3.5V8.5ZM4.8 3a2 2 0 1 0 0 4 2 2 0 0 0 0-4ZM21 13.4c0-3.4-1.8-5.2-4.5-5.2-1.6 0-2.7.8-3.2 1.7V8.5H9.9V21h3.4v-6.4c0-1.7.6-2.8 2.1-2.8 1.4 0 2 1 2 2.8V21H21v-7.6Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-rd\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M22 12.1a2.4 2.4 0 0 0-4.1-1.7 11.7 11.7 0 0 0-5.5-1.7l1-4.5 3.1.7a1.7 1.7 0 1 0 .2-1l-3.6-.8a.5.5 0 0 0-.6.4l-1.1 5.2a11.8 11.8 0 0 0-5.8 1.7A2.4 2.4 0 1 0 3 14.3v.5c0 3.4 4 6.2 9 6.2s9-2.8 9-6.2v-.5a2.4 2.4 0 0 0 1-2.2ZM7.5 13.8a1.7 1.7 0 1 1 3.4 0 1.7 1.7 0 0 1-3.4 0Zm8.9 4.5c-1.2 1.2-3.4 1.3-4.4 1.3s-3.3-.1-4.4-1.3a.5.5 0 0 1 .7-.7c.7.8 2.4 1 3.7 1s2.9-.2 3.7-1a.5.5 0 0 1 .7.7Zm-.6-2.8a1.7 1.7 0 1 1 0-3.4 1.7 1.7 0 0 1 0 3.4Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-tg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M21.9 4.6 18.7 19.9c-.2 1-.9 1.3-1.7.8l-4.9-3.6-2.3 2.3c-.3.3-.5.5-1 .5l.4-5 9-8.2c.4-.3-.1-.5-.6-.2L6.4 13.5 1.6 12c-1-.3-1.1-1 .2-1.5l18.8-7.2c.9-.3 1.6.2 1.3 1.3Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-mail\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" d=\"M3 6h18v12H3z\"\/><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" d=\"m3 7 9 6 9-6\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-link\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.9\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"M10 14a4 4 0 0 0 5.7 0l3-3a4 4 0 0 0-5.7-5.7l-1.5 1.5M14 10a4 4 0 0 0-5.7 0l-3 3a4 4 0 0 0 5.7 5.7l1.5-1.5\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-more\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><circle cx=\"5\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><circle cx=\"19\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><\/symbol>\n<\/svg>\n<span class=\"mfsh-top-slot\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger\" data-mfsh-placement=\"top\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button><\/span>\n<script>\n(function(){\n  if (window.__mfsh) return; window.__mfsh = true;\n  var SECTION = 'afterburner';\n  function meta(p){ var m=document.querySelector('meta[property=\"'+p+'\"]'); return m ? m.getAttribute('content') : ''; }\n  function pageUrl(){ var c=document.querySelector('link[rel=\"canonical\"]'); return (c && c.href) || (location.origin + location.pathname); }\n  function pageTitle(){ var h=document.querySelector('h1.entry-title'); return (h && h.textContent.trim()) || meta('og:title') || document.title; }\n  function slug(){ return location.pathname.replace(\/\\\/+$\/,'').split('\/').pop() || 'home'; }\n  function kicker(){ var c=document.querySelector('.et_pb_title_container a[rel=\"category tag\"], .et_pb_title_container a[rel=\"category\"], a[rel=\"category tag\"]'); return 'Afterburner' + (c && c.textContent.trim() ? ' \u00b7 ' + c.textContent.trim() : ''); }\n  function shareUrl(ch, placement){ return pageUrl() + '?utm_source=share&utm_medium=' + ch + '&utm_campaign=' + SECTION + '&utm_content=sheet_' + placement; }\n  function track(ch, placement, extra){\n    window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];\n    var ev = { event:'share', share_channel:ch, share_variant:'sheet', share_placement:placement, page_section:SECTION, content_id:slug() };\n    if (extra) for (var k in extra) ev[k]=extra[k];\n    window.dataLayer.push(ev);\n  }\n  var CH = [\n    ['whatsapp','WhatsApp','mfsh-i-wa',''],\n    ['x','X','mfsh-i-x',''],\n    ['facebook','Facebook','mfsh-i-fb',''],\n    ['linkedin','LinkedIn','mfsh-i-li',''],\n    ['reddit','Reddit','mfsh-i-rd','r\/aviation, r\/WarplanePorn'],\n    ['telegram','Telegram','mfsh-i-tg',''],\n    ['email','Email','mfsh-i-mail',''],\n    ['copy','Copy link','mfsh-i-link',''],\n    ['native','More','mfsh-i-more','Instagram, Signal, AirDrop']\n  ];\n  var overlay, toastEl, toastT, placement = 'top';\n  function build(){\n    overlay = document.createElement('div'); overlay.className = 'mfsh-overlay'; overlay.setAttribute('role','dialog'); overlay.setAttribute('aria-modal','true'); overlay.setAttribute('aria-label','Share');\n    var img = meta('og:image');\n    var items = CH.filter(function(c){ return c[0] !== 'native' || !!navigator.share; }).map(function(c){\n      return '<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-item\" data-mfsh-ch=\"'+c[0]+'\"><svg><use href=\"#'+c[2]+'\"\/><\/svg>'+c[1]+(c[3]?'<small>'+c[3]+'<\/small>':'')+'<\/button>';\n    }).join('');\n    overlay.innerHTML = '<div class=\"mfsh-sheet\"><div class=\"mfsh-head\"><strong><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share<\/strong><button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-close\" aria-label=\"Close\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-close\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>'\n      + '<div class=\"mfsh-preview\">' + (img ? '<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"'+img+'\" alt=\"\">' : '<span><\/span>') + '<div><div class=\"mfsh-kicker\">'+kicker()+'<\/div><span class=\"mfsh-title\">'+pageTitle()+'<\/span><\/div><\/div>'\n      + '<div class=\"mfsh-list\">'+items+'<\/div><\/div>';\n    document.body.appendChild(overlay);\n    toastEl = document.createElement('div'); toastEl.className = 'mfsh-toast'; document.body.appendChild(toastEl);\n    overlay.addEventListener('click', function(e){\n      if (e.target === overlay || e.target.closest('.mfsh-close')) { close(); return; }\n      var b = e.target.closest('.mfsh-item'); if (b) act(b.getAttribute('data-mfsh-ch'), b);\n    });\n    document.addEventListener('keydown', function(e){ if (e.key === 'Escape') close(); });\n  }\n  function open(p){ placement = p || 'top'; if (!overlay) build(); overlay.classList.add('mfsh-open'); track('open', placement); }\n  function close(){ if (overlay) overlay.classList.remove('mfsh-open'); }\n  function toast(m){ toastEl.textContent = m; toastEl.classList.add('mfsh-show'); clearTimeout(toastT); toastT = setTimeout(function(){ toastEl.classList.remove('mfsh-show'); }, 1600); }\n  function act(ch, btn){\n    var url = shareUrl(ch, placement), t = pageTitle(), enc = encodeURIComponent;\n    if (ch === 'copy') {\n      var done = function(){ toast('Link copied'); btn.classList.add('mfsh-done'); setTimeout(function(){ btn.classList.remove('mfsh-done'); close(); }, 900); };\n      track(ch, placement);\n      if (navigator.clipboard && navigator.clipboard.writeText) navigator.clipboard.writeText(url).then(done, done); else done();\n      return;\n    }\n    if (ch === 'native') {\n      track(ch, placement, { share_result:'opened' });\n      navigator.share({ title:t, text:t, url:url }).then(function(){ track('native', placement, { share_result:'completed' }); close(); }).catch(function(){});\n      return;\n    }\n    var target = {\n      whatsapp: 'https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?text=' + enc(t + ' ' + url),\n      x:        'https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=' + enc(t) + '&url=' + enc(url) + '&via=MiGFlug',\n      facebook: 'https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=' + enc(url),\n      linkedin: 'https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=' + enc(url),\n      reddit:   'https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=' + enc(url) + '&title=' + enc(t),\n      telegram: 'https:\/\/t.me\/share\/url?url=' + enc(url) + '&text=' + enc(t),\n      email:    'mailto:?subject=' + enc(t) + '&body=' + enc('Thought you would like this, from Afterburner, MiGFlug\\'s magazine:\\n' + t + '\\n' + url)\n    }[ch];\n    track(ch, placement);\n    if (target) { if (ch === 'email') location.href = target; else window.open(target, '_blank', 'noopener,width=680,height=560'); }\n    close();\n  }\n  var mq = window.matchMedia('(min-width:981px)');\n  function place(){\n    var t = document.querySelector('.mfsh-trigger[data-mfsh-placement=\"top\"]'), slot = document.querySelector('.mfsh-top-slot');\n    var meta = [].slice.call(document.querySelectorAll('.et_pb_title_meta_container, .et_post_meta_wrapper .post-meta, .single .post-meta')).filter(function(m){ return m.offsetParent !== null; })[0];\n    if (!t || !slot) return;\n    if (meta && mq.matches) { meta.classList.add('mfsh-meta'); t.classList.add('mfsh-inmeta'); if (t.parentNode !== meta) meta.appendChild(t); var a = meta.querySelector('a'); if (a) { var pr = document.createElement('span'); pr.style.cssText = 'display:inline-block;width:0;height:0;vertical-align:baseline'; a.appendChild(pr); var base = pr.getBoundingClientRect().bottom; pr.remove(); var fs = parseFloat(getComputedStyle(a).fontSize) || 14, mb = meta.getBoundingClientRect().bottom; t.style.bottom = Math.max(0, mb - (base + fs * 0.12)) + 'px'; } }\n    else { t.classList.remove('mfsh-inmeta'); if (t.parentNode !== slot) slot.appendChild(t); }\n  }\n  if (document.readyState === 'loading') document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', place); else place(); window.addEventListener('load', place); if (document.fonts && document.fonts.ready) document.fonts.ready.then(place); window.addEventListener('resize', place);\n  if (mq.addEventListener) mq.addEventListener('change', place); else mq.addListener(place);\n  document.addEventListener('click', function(e){ var b = e.target.closest('.mfsh-trigger'); if (b) { e.preventDefault(); open(b.getAttribute('data-mfsh-placement') || 'top'); } });\n})();\n<\/script><!-- \/mfsh:top -->\n\r\n<p>A jet engine is a machine for keeping air moving in one direction. When it briefly stops doing that, the result is spectacular: a bang like an explosion, a sheet of flame out of the tailpipe, sometimes out of the intake as well, and an aircraft that has just lost a large fraction of its thrust.<\/p><p>Passengers reach for their phones. Controllers occasionally report an engine fire. Crews have mistaken the noise for a burst tyre or a bomb and rejected a take-off above V1.<\/p><p>What has actually happened is a compressor stall, and the physics behind it are the same physics that stall a wing.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f5f5f5;padding:20px 22px;margin:26px 0;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#222\">Quick Facts<\/p><table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:15px;line-height:1.6\"><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 14px 6px 0;color:#555;white-space:normal;vertical-align:top;min-width:130px\"><strong>What actually stalls<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;white-space:normal\">Individual compressor blades, which are aerofoils like any wing<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 14px 6px 0;color:#555;white-space:normal;vertical-align:top;min-width:130px\"><strong>Rotating stall<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;white-space:normal\">Stall cells travelling around the annulus while the engine still pumps air<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 14px 6px 0;color:#555;white-space:normal;vertical-align:top;min-width:130px\"><strong>Surge<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;white-space:normal\">Complete breakdown, with the airflow reversing and escaping forward out of the intake<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 14px 6px 0;color:#555;white-space:normal;vertical-align:top;min-width:130px\"><strong>Measured cell speed<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;white-space:normal\">50.6% of rotor shaft speed in NASA Glenn testing; the wider literature spans roughly 0.2 to 0.8 times rotor speed<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 14px 6px 0;color:#555;white-space:normal;vertical-align:top;min-width:130px\"><strong>Design surge margin<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;white-space:normal\">About 15% on low-pressure compressors and 20% on high-pressure, per Rolls-Royce<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 14px 6px 0;color:#555;white-space:normal;vertical-align:top;min-width:130px\"><strong>Trigger sensitivity<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;white-space:normal\">Inlet temperature distortion of only 14 to 20% of the face average produced complete stall on the TF30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 14px 6px 0;color:#555;white-space:normal;vertical-align:top;min-width:130px\"><strong>Flame duration<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;white-space:normal\">Rolls-Royce measured a forward flame of 80 to 100 milliseconds on the Olympus 593<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 14px 6px 0;color:#555;white-space:normal;vertical-align:top;min-width:130px\"><strong>Pilot response<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;white-space:normal\">Retard the thrust lever until it recovers, then re-advance slowly; reduce angle of attack, increase airspeed<\/td><\/tr><\/table><\/div>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">A compressor blade is a wing<\/h2><p>This is the sentence that makes everything else make sense. Each blade in an axial compressor is an aerofoil, and its effective angle of attack is the vector sum of two velocities: the axial speed of air entering the stage, and the rotational speed of the blade itself.<\/p><p>Change either one and the incidence angle changes. Reduce the axial airflow while the shaft keeps turning at the same rpm, or spool the shaft up faster than the airflow can follow, and the incidence rises until the blade does exactly what a wing does when you pull too hard.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;The air flowing over the compressor airfoils can stall just as the air over the wing of an airplane can.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Federal Aviation Administration<\/strong> &mdash; Airplane Turbofan Engine Operation and Malfunctions: Basic Familiarization for Flight Crews, Chapter 2<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n<p>The consequence, though, is nothing like a wing stall. A stalled wing stops producing lift. A stalled compressor stage stops producing the pressure rise that holds back everything downstream of it, and there is a great deal of very high-pressure air downstream.<\/p>\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/rotating-stall-cells-axial-compressor-diagram.png\" alt=\"Diagram of rotating stall cells in an axial compressor\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Rotating stall: cells of stalled flow travel around the annulus rather than the whole stage letting go at once. The engine keeps pumping, but badly. Diagram: Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Rotating stall and surge are not the same thing<\/h2><p>Engineers separate two failure modes that pilots experience as one event.<\/p><p>In rotating stall, a localised cell of stalled flow forms and then travels circumferentially around the compressor annulus. NASA Glenn measured a single cell in its Low Speed Axial Compressor moving at 50.6 per cent of rotor shaft speed, with genuinely reversed flow inside the cell. Published values elsewhere range from about a fifth to four-fifths of rotor speed depending on the compressor and the type of stall, so treat any single figure with suspicion.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;The NASA Low Speed Axial Compressor while in the rotating stall regime at the design rotor speed exhibits one stall cell that rotates with a speed equal to 50.6% of the rotor speed.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Jan Lepicovsky and Edward P. Braunscheidel<\/strong> &mdash; NASA Glenn Research Center, Measurement of Flow Pattern Within a Rotating Stall Cell in an Axial Compressor, NASA\/TM-2006-214270<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n<p>Surge is the violent one. Here the whole annulus lets go and the flow reverses axially: the compressed air behind the stall escapes forward, back out through the compressor and out of the intake. That is the bang, and that is why flame can appear at the front of an engine as well as the back.<\/p><p>Which of the two you get is not random. It is governed by a dimensionless ratio known as Greitzer&rsquo;s B-parameter, essentially a Helmholtz-resonator relationship between the compressor and the volume it is pumping into. Above a critical value the machine surges; below it, it settles into rotating stall. The boundary is reported at approximately 0.8.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7MYh2KtEUQk\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n<p>Mentour Pilot walks through the phenomenon from the flight deck perspective above.<\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">How little it takes<\/h2><p>The numbers here are the genuinely surprising part. NASA tested the TF30, the engine in the early F-14, and found that inlet temperature distortion amounting to only 14 to 20 per cent of the face-average temperature was enough to produce complete compressor stall. Halving the Reynolds number index halved the distortion required.<\/p><p>Throttle handling does it too. NASA testing on the same engine showed that rapid slams between Military and Maximum power produced stalls beginning in the fan hub which then, in the report&rsquo;s words, quickly propagated and produced complete stall in the high-pressure compressor.<\/p><p>Designers buy margin against all of this. Rolls-Royce states that low-pressure compressors are typically given around 15 per cent surge margin and high-pressure compressors around 20 per cent, with up to half of that reserved purely to absorb transient excursions during acceleration and deceleration. The working line has to stay below the surge line on the compressor map with enough room for a bird, a gust, a slam and a worn engine simultaneously.<\/p>\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/variable-stator-vanes-compressor-case-j79.jpg\" alt=\"Variable stator vane actuation ring on a jet engine compressor case\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">The hardware that prevents most stalls: the external actuation ring that rotates variable stator vanes to keep blade incidence sensible across the rpm range. Photo: Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n<p>The defences are mechanical. Variable inlet guide vanes sit ahead of the rotor blades and variable stator vanes behind them, rotating with engine speed to keep incidence within limits. Bleed valves dump air from intermediate stages during acceleration. On a modern three-spool engine the control unit schedules all of this continuously.<\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What it looks like when it happens<\/h2>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #d32f2f;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;This escape is sudden, rapid and often quite audible as a loud bang similar to an explosion. Engine surge can be accompanied by visible flames forward out the inlet and rearward out the tailpipe.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Federal Aviation Administration<\/strong> &mdash; Airplane Turbofan Engine Operation and Malfunctions, Chapter 2, on engine surge<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n<p>The flame is short. Rolls-Royce fuel-ingestion testing conducted for the Concorde investigation confirmed a forward flame lasting 80 to 100 milliseconds on the Olympus 593. Long enough to photograph, and long enough to convince an observer that the aircraft is on fire.<\/p><p>FAA training material sets out the instrument signatures with useful precision. A single self-recovering surge drops EPR to 1.05 in two tenths of a second, with N1 falling 16 per cent in the first two tenths and another 15 per cent over the next three. In a multiple surge the engine returns to 98 per cent of its pre-surge power between bangs. A non-recoverable surge shows EPR falling at 0.34 per second and EGT climbing at 15 degrees Celsius per second, continuing for a full eight seconds after the thrust lever has been pulled to idle.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xzdpkIibwBM\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n<p>The gas-turbine technician behind the AgentJayZ channel answers the engineering questions in more depth above.<\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Four events worth knowing<\/h2><p><strong>Airborne Express, Kansas City, 4 March 1999.<\/strong> A DC-9 freighter ingested snow geese into both engines. The number one engine surged roughly once per second. The captain found that reducing power slowed the cycle enough to keep flying.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;Enough to lessen the surge\/stall condition to a rate of once every two seconds, which allowed just enough thrust to maintain the approach and to lower the vibration. The number one engine continued to compressor stall\/surge to touchdown.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>The captain of Airborne Express N195US<\/strong> &mdash; As recorded in NTSB Aviation Investigation Final Report CHI99FA102, 4 March 1999<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n<p><strong>SAS 751, Gottr&ouml;ra, 27 December 1991.<\/strong> Clear ice shed from the wings into both engines. The first right-engine surge came 25 seconds after rotation, at 1,124 feet. An automatic thrust restoration system, which the crew did not know was fitted, kept re-advancing the throttles into the stalling engines. The right engine failed 51 seconds after its first surge.<\/p><p><strong>Concorde F-BTSC, 25 July 2000.<\/strong> Engines one and two surged on hot gas ingestion, with a later surge on engine one recorded at 13 degrees angle of attack. Engines three and four surged from airflow distortion attributed to the roll and high angle of attack.<\/p><p><strong>US Airways 1549, 15 January 2009.<\/strong> Two birds of roughly eight pounds each entered each engine. The NTSB found that destruction of all the high-pressure compressor variable guide vanes caused the loss of directional control of the airflow into the compressor, causing it to stall continuously with no recovery possible. A detail rarely mentioned: the same aircraft had a right-engine stall at 17,000 feet two days earlier.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AOPD4Bmyh04\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What the crew is supposed to do<\/h2><p>The published answer is unglamorous and consistent across sources. The FAA is explicit that the desired pilot action is to retard the thrust lever until the engine recovers, and that the flight crew should then re-advance it slowly. The word slowly is capitalised in the original.<\/p><p>The airframe side matters too: reduce angle of attack and increase airspeed, because a stalled compressor is often a symptom of distorted air arriving at the intake rather than a fault inside the engine. For ice-crystal events specifically, Boeing guidance is to bring the throttle to idle, and notes that cycling the fuel switch may be required to clear some stalls.<\/p><p>Ice crystals are the modern version of the problem. Boeing documented at least 100 engine power-loss events attributed to ice-crystal icing since 1990 in its 2007 accounting, most above 22,000 feet and around 60 per cent in Asia, caused by crystals as small as 40 microns. Later literature quotes higher totals.<\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why it still happens<\/h2><p>Every one of these defences is a compromise against something else. Wider surge margin costs efficiency. More bleed air costs thrust. More variable geometry costs weight, complexity and reliability. Engine designers spend the margin they can afford and no more.<\/p><p>So the compressor stall survives as a failure mode not because it is poorly understood, but because the fix is expensive and the trigger is usually something the designer cannot control: a goose, a hailstone, a sheet of ice, or an aircraft pointed somewhere its intake was never designed to cope with.<\/p><p>It looks like a catastrophe. Most of the time it is an engine telling you, loudly, that the air arriving at its face is no longer acceptable.<\/p>\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\n\n\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What is a compressor stall?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">A breakdown of the orderly airflow through a jet engine&rsquo;s compressor. Individual compressor blades are aerofoils, and like any wing they can stall if the angle of attack of the air meeting them becomes too great. The result is a loud bang, flame from the tailpipe and sometimes the intake, and a large loss of thrust.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What is the difference between a compressor stall and a surge?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">A rotating stall means stall cells travel around the compressor annulus while the engine still pumps air overall. A surge is the complete breakdown, where the airflow actually reverses and escapes forward out of the intake.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why does a compressor stall sound like an explosion?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Because a large volume of high-pressure air reverses direction very suddenly. Crews have mistaken the noise for a burst tyre or a bomb, and rejected take-offs above V1 because of it. Rolls-Royce measured a forward flame lasting 80 to 100 milliseconds on the Olympus 593.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How much margin does an engine have?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Rolls-Royce cites a design surge margin of about 15 percent on low-pressure compressors and 20 percent on high-pressure. It does not take much to erode: inlet temperature distortion of only 14 to 20 percent of the face average produced complete stall on the TF30.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What should a pilot do in a compressor stall?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Retard the thrust lever until the engine recovers, then re-advance it slowly. Reducing angle of attack and increasing airspeed helps restore clean airflow into the intake.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is a compressor stall?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"A breakdown of the orderly airflow through a jet engine\u2019s compressor. Individual compressor blades are aerofoils, and like any wing they can stall if the angle of attack of the air meeting them becomes too great. The result is a loud bang, flame from the tailpipe and sometimes the intake, and a large loss of thrust.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the difference between a compressor stall and a surge?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"A rotating stall means stall cells travel around the compressor annulus while the engine still pumps air overall. A surge is the complete breakdown, where the airflow actually reverses and escapes forward out of the intake.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why does a compressor stall sound like an explosion?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Because a large volume of high-pressure air reverses direction very suddenly. Crews have mistaken the noise for a burst tyre or a bomb, and rejected take-offs above V1 because of it. Rolls-Royce measured a forward flame lasting 80 to 100 milliseconds on the Olympus 593.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How much margin does an engine have?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Rolls-Royce cites a design surge margin of about 15 percent on low-pressure compressors and 20 percent on high-pressure. It does not take much to erode: inlet temperature distortion of only 14 to 20 percent of the face average produced complete stall on the TF30.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What should a pilot do in a compressor stall?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Retard the thrust lever until the engine recovers, then re-advance it slowly. Reducing angle of attack and increasing airspeed helps restore clean airflow into the intake.\"}}]}<\/script><p><em>Sources: FAA, Airplane Turbofan Engine Operation and Malfunctions; NASA\/TM-2006-214270; NASA TM X-2921 and TN D-6839; NTSB CHI99FA102 and AAR-10\/03; Swedish Accident Investigation Authority report on SAS 751; BEA report on Concorde F-BTSC; Rolls-Royce patent US11326526B2; Boeing AERO Q4 2007.<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\n\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/what-really-happens-when-a-bird-hits-a-jet-at-500-mph\/\">What Really Happens When a Bird Hits a Jet at 500 MPH<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/us-airways-1549-miracle-on-the-hudson-sullenberger\/\">US Airways 1549: The Miracle on the Hudson<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/cathay-pacific-780-contaminated-fuel-engine-thrust-hong-kong\/\">Cathay Pacific 780: Contaminated Fuel and a Thrust Crisis<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The bang, the flame and the lost thrust explained: what a compressor stall actually is, how it differs from a surge, how little it takes to trigger one, and what the crew is trained to do.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":18848673,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[665],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18849659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aviation-world"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Compressor Stall: Why a Jet Engine Coughs Fire | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What a compressor stall really is, how it differs from a surge, how little it takes to trigger one, and the recovery actions crews are trained to use.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Compressor Stall: Why a Jet Engine Coughs Fire | MiGFlug\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What a compressor stall really is, how it differs from a surge, how little it takes to trigger one, and the recovery actions crews are trained to use.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Afterburner - MiGFlug&#039;s Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-09-01T09:04:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-04T06:43:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/compressor-stall-flame-sukhoi-t-50-maks-2011.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1156\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"771\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Max Gr\u00fcnwald\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Max Gr\u00fcnwald\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Max Gr\u00fcnwald\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/da89e4a5834c9a932ee20751ed75569c\"},\"headline\":\"Compressor Stall: Why a Jet Engine Coughs Fire\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-01T09:04:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-04T06:43:31+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2040,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/compressor-stall-flame-sukhoi-t-50-maks-2011.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Aviation World\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\\\/\",\"name\":\"Compressor Stall: Why a Jet Engine Coughs Fire | MiGFlug\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/compressor-stall-flame-sukhoi-t-50-maks-2011.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-01T09:04:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-04T06:43:31+00:00\",\"description\":\"What a compressor stall really is, how it differs from a surge, how little it takes to trigger one, and the recovery actions crews are trained to use.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/compressor-stall-flame-sukhoi-t-50-maks-2011.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/compressor-stall-flame-sukhoi-t-50-maks-2011.jpg\",\"width\":1156,\"height\":771,\"caption\":\"A visible compressor stall flame erupting from a Sukhoi T-50 during a display at MAKS 2011\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Startseite\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Compressor Stall: Why a Jet Engine Coughs Fire\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"name\":\"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine\",\"description\":\"for those interested in flying military jets and aviation related  topics\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\\/w:897\\\/h:278\\\/q:mauto\\\/ig:avif\\\/https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\\/w:897\\\/h:278\\\/q:mauto\\\/ig:avif\\\/https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"width\":897,\"height\":278,\"caption\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/MiGFlug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/migflug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/migflug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/MiGFlug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/migflug.com\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.ch\\\/migflug\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/da89e4a5834c9a932ee20751ed75569c\",\"name\":\"Max Gr\u00fcnwald\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4a7af37924a5c24d0712babd0e5eafec09d37b3a41831dd4c4ee30f54ebfc1a7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4a7af37924a5c24d0712babd0e5eafec09d37b3a41831dd4c4ee30f54ebfc1a7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4a7af37924a5c24d0712babd0e5eafec09d37b3a41831dd4c4ee30f54ebfc1a7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Max Gr\u00fcnwald\"},\"description\":\"Max Gr\u00fcnwald writes MiGFlug\u2019s technical deep-dives \u2014 engines, avionics and weapons systems, with every number checked twice.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/author\\\/maxgruenwald\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Compressor Stall: Why a Jet Engine Coughs Fire | MiGFlug","description":"What a compressor stall really is, how it differs from a surge, how little it takes to trigger one, and the recovery actions crews are trained to use.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Compressor Stall: Why a Jet Engine Coughs Fire | MiGFlug","og_description":"What a compressor stall really is, how it differs from a surge, how little it takes to trigger one, and the recovery actions crews are trained to use.","og_url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\/","og_site_name":"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","article_published_time":"2026-09-01T09:04:32+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-09-04T06:43:31+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1156,"height":771,"url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/compressor-stall-flame-sukhoi-t-50-maks-2011.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Max Gr\u00fcnwald","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@migflug","twitter_site":"@migflug","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Max Gr\u00fcnwald","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\/"},"author":{"name":"Max Gr\u00fcnwald","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/da89e4a5834c9a932ee20751ed75569c"},"headline":"Compressor Stall: Why a Jet Engine Coughs Fire","datePublished":"2026-09-01T09:04:32+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-04T06:43:31+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\/"},"wordCount":2040,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/compressor-stall-flame-sukhoi-t-50-maks-2011.jpg","articleSection":["Aviation World"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\/","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\/","name":"Compressor Stall: Why a Jet Engine Coughs Fire | MiGFlug","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/compressor-stall-flame-sukhoi-t-50-maks-2011.jpg","datePublished":"2026-09-01T09:04:32+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-04T06:43:31+00:00","description":"What a compressor stall really is, how it differs from a surge, how little it takes to trigger one, and the recovery actions crews are trained to use.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/compressor-stall-flame-sukhoi-t-50-maks-2011.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/compressor-stall-flame-sukhoi-t-50-maks-2011.jpg","width":1156,"height":771,"caption":"A visible compressor stall flame erupting from a Sukhoi T-50 during a display at MAKS 2011"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/compressor-stall-jet-engine-surge-explained\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Startseite","item":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Compressor Stall: Why a Jet Engine Coughs Fire"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","name":"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine","description":"for those interested in flying military jets and aviation related  topics","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization","name":"MiGFlug GmbH","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","width":897,"height":278,"caption":"MiGFlug GmbH"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","https:\/\/x.com\/migflug","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/migflug\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/MiGFlug","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/migflug.com\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.ch\/migflug\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/da89e4a5834c9a932ee20751ed75569c","name":"Max Gr\u00fcnwald","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4a7af37924a5c24d0712babd0e5eafec09d37b3a41831dd4c4ee30f54ebfc1a7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4a7af37924a5c24d0712babd0e5eafec09d37b3a41831dd4c4ee30f54ebfc1a7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4a7af37924a5c24d0712babd0e5eafec09d37b3a41831dd4c4ee30f54ebfc1a7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Max Gr\u00fcnwald"},"description":"Max Gr\u00fcnwald writes MiGFlug\u2019s technical deep-dives \u2014 engines, avionics and weapons systems, with every number checked twice.","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/author\/maxgruenwald\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18849659","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18849659"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18849659\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19998445,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18849659\/revisions\/19998445"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18848673"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18849659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18849659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18849659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}