How To Recognize and Recover from An Unusual Attitude

By Leslie Caubble, CFI/IGI

One minute I was cruising along the Maui coastline around 1,500 feet, and before I knew it, I was in a sixty-degree right bank, nose low, looking straight into the ocean.

What happened?

It was a flight where I was already slightly anxious because I was breaking in a freshly overhauled engine on our flight school 172. I circled over the airport for about 45 minutes first to make sure it was running smoothly, then I went across the island to fly up and down the shoreline at full power for another hour. 

ATC had vectored an Alaska Airlines to turn base just over my position, 1,000 ft above me. Wake turbulence hit me in the air, and it felt like I had been T-boned from the left side. In an instant, it knocked me into an unusual attitude which I had to recover from promptly before hitting the water.

What is an unusual attitude?

An unusual attitude is an attitude that is unintended or unexpected, or when the aircraft maneuvers into an attitude that’s not required for normal flight. The aircraft can then enter an upset condition, which can lead to loss of control. Loss of control in flight (LOC-I) is one of the leading causes of general aviation accidents. 

An unusual attitude that results in a loss of control is called an upset. Upsets have defined parameters of a pitch attitude of greater than 25 degrees nose up, a pitch attitude greater than 10 degrees nose down, a bank angle greater than 45 degrees, or flying at airspeeds inappropriate for the conditions. Unusual attitudes are so dangerous because it doesn’t take long for the pilot to become disoriented, making the problem worse, and getting the plane into one or more of these upset conditions.

It’s important that pilots train to recognize and recover from unusual attitudes before losing control of the aircraft, both in visual and in instrument conditions. Unusual attitudes are typically categorized as nose-high and nose-low. It’s important to know which one you are encountering because the procedure for recovery from each is a little different. 

Situations That Can Cause an Unusual Attitude

Preventing LOC-I accidents begins with being aware of situations that have greater risk for unusual attitudes. The main contributing factors to unusual attitudes can be classified as environmental, mechanical, and human factors. Some of these situations arise because of more insidious, subtle risky behaviors such as uncoordinated flight, complacency, distractions, and poor risk management. 

Environmental Factors

• Turbulence: Turbulence from wind shear, mountainous terrain, thunderstorms, or microbursts can put your aircraft into an unusual attitude.

• Icing: Ice can build up on the control surfaces, causing loss of smooth airflow and lift. Performance degrades and could end in a stall and unusual attitude.

• Wake turbulence: Encountering the wake turbulence from other aircraft can quickly cause an unusual attitude. Be situationally aware of larger aircraft in your vicinity, and always use wake turbulence avoidance procedures when landing behind or taking off after larger aircraft.

Mechanical Factors

• Mechanical failures: Airplanes in general are very reliable, and major malfunctions are the minority. However, abnormalities can happen which could lead to a loss of control. Some of these include asymmetrical flaps, jamming of the control surfaces, or runaway trim. 

• Advanced automation: Lack of knowledge or misuse of automation can cause a pilot to inadvertently get into an unusual attitude. Advanced avionics and autopilots can also mask an underlying problem. Pilots should fully understand their avionics, how to disengage the autopilot, and stay proficient in manually flying the plane. 

Human Factors

• VMC into IMC: Flying from visual to marginal or instrument conditions is one of the leading causes of unusual attitudes and LOC-I accidents. This is why unusual attitude recovery under simulated instrument conditions is a requirement for flight training. Inadvertently flying into instrument conditions can quickly cause spatial disorientation in the pilot who then gets into an unusual attitude.

• Task Saturation: When a pilot gets into a situation that is beyond their capability or the tasks required to fly safely is beyond their training, it’s very easy to get into an unusual attitude. An example would be a pilot who flies a night cross-country who isn’t proficient at night flying. They are tired, the weather is marginal, and there is a system failure on the flight. It’s more than many pilots can handle, and it can lead to loss of control.

• Distractions: Unfamiliarity with systems or avionics, passengers, or a lack of proficiency can cause a pilot to lose sight of doing the fundamental task of aviating first.

• Spatial Disorientation: Illusions from flying in degrading weather, optical illusions, night flying, etc. can cause the pilot to become disoriented and lose the sense of being in the correct attitude.

• Startle Response: The startle response is a human’s natural way of dealing with a sudden event. Mental processing slows, and the pilot can “freeze” for several seconds. Those seconds can add up to the difference between recognition and recovery, or an accident. Scenario-based training is the best way for pilots to prepare for a physiological reaction to an upset.

How to Recognize and Recover from a Nose-High Unusual Attitude

Recognize a Nose-High Unusual Attitude

1. Airspeed indicator shows decreasing airspeed.

2. Attitude indicator shows increasing altitude.

3. The vertical speed indicator indicates a climb.

4. The tachometer/RPM gauge shows a decrease in power.

5. A nose-high attitude is observed on the attitude indicator.

Recovering from a Nose-High Unusual Attitude:

Simultaneously apply full power, level the wings with correct aileron/rudder pressure, and push forward on the controls to allow the airspeed to increase. When a normal cruise airspeed is gained, pull the power back to cruise power, then trim the aircraft.

How to Recognize and Recover from a Nose-Low Unusual Attitude

Recognize a Nose-Low Unusual Attitude

1. Airspeed indicator shows increasing airspeed.

2. Attitude indicator shows decreasing altitude.

3. The vertical speed indicator indicates a descent.

4. The tachometer/RPM gauge shows an increase in power. You can really hear this in the plane.

5. A nose-low attitude is observed on the attitude indicator.

Recovering from a Nose-Low Unusual Attitude:

Simultaneously power to idle and roll the wings level using appropriate aileron/rudder inputs. Smoothly and carefully raise the nose to stop the dive and decrease the airspeed. It’s very important to level the wings before applying back pressure, so the flight controls aren’t overstressed. When straight and level flight is resumed, then increase power back to cruise power and trim.

Want to learn more?

Here are some references and things you can do to help you learn to better recognize unusual attitudes and recover from them:

1. Fly regularly with a CFI and ask them to put you in different unusual attitude scenarios.

2. Practice your recovery procedures through chair flying or on a simulator.

3. Read Chapter 5 “Maintaining Aircraft Control: Upset Prevention and Recovery Training” in the Airplane Flying Handbook.

4. Read Advisory Circular 120-111 “Upset Prevention and Recovery Training” for additional guidance.

5. Learn from accident case studies by AOPA, such as “Fair Weather Flier” (April 2025).

By Leslie Caubble, CFI/IGI

Northstar Aviation References brings you the Pre-Tabbed ASA FAR/AIM, DIY tabs for your FAR/AIM and other pilot resources so that you can more easily study the regulations that form the foundation of your flying career or hobby. Have any questions? Check out our FAQs page or contact us. Check out other blog posts here.