On 2006-06-20, wrote:
Is it possible for an aircraft to stall and sink nose-up tail-down
instead of pitching nose-down? Or does aircraft design inherently
preclude that?

Conventional light planes should not do that (i.e. certified, non-canard
designs). However, some rear engined T-tailed airliner designs WILL do
that. It is called a deep stall, and is irrecoverable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_stall

has a diagram. Note that in a rear engined T tailed plane, the wash from
the wing will prevent appreciable thrust being made by the engines, so
you can't just 'power' out of it either.

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