# Inflight upset

- Type: NTSB defining event
- NTSB code: 271
- CICTT category: Abrupt Maneuver
- Defining event in: 46 cases
- In the sequence of: 74 cases
- Fatal cases: 20
- All cases: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/271/cases.md
- Cases with it anywhere in the sequence: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/271/sequence.md
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/271

## Cases per year (defining / in the sequence)

- 2008: 0 / 1
- 2009: 1 / 2
- 2010: 4 / 7
- 2011: 3 / 5
- 2012: 5 / 9
- 2013: 3 / 3
- 2014: 2 / 3
- 2015: 2 / 4
- 2016: 1 / 4
- 2017: 2 / 5
- 2018: 5 / 7
- 2019: 5 / 6
- 2020: 2 / 3
- 2021: 0 / 1
- 2022: 5 / 7
- 2023: 2 / 3
- 2024: 2 / 2
- 2025: 1 / 1
- 2026: 1 / 1

## Phase of flight

- Enroute-cruise: 13 cases
- Enroute: 6 cases
- Enroute-climb to cruise: 5 cases
- Initial climb: 4 cases
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: 3 cases
- Maneuvering: 3 cases
- Approach-VFR pattern final: 2 cases
- Approach: 2 cases
- Autorotation: 1 cases
- Emergency descent: 1 cases

## In the probable cause of these cases

- [Aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040) (Personnel issues): 16 cases
- [Not determined, general](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000) (Not determined): 8 cases
- [Decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520) (Personnel issues): 6 cases
- [Thunderstorm](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03033010) (Environmental issues): 5 cases
- [Pitch control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022) (Aircraft): 5 cases
- [Incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015) (Personnel issues): 4 cases
- [Use of policy/procedure](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063032) (Personnel issues): 3 cases
- [Performance/control parameters, general](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000) (Aircraft): 3 cases
- [Convective turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032020) (Environmental issues): 2 cases
- [Conducive to structural icing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031025) (Environmental issues): 2 cases

## Aircraft models (registry)

- [Raytheon C90A](https://openairdocs.org/model/raytheon-c90a): 2 cases
- [Bell 206B](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206b): 2 cases
- [Schweizer G-164D](https://openairdocs.org/model/schweizer-g-164d): 1 cases
- [Rotorsport UK CAVALON](https://openairdocs.org/model/rotorsport-uk-cavalon): 1 cases
- [Robinson Helicopter R44](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44): 1 cases
- [Raytheon 58](https://openairdocs.org/model/raytheon-58): 1 cases
- [Piper PA-32RT-300](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32rt-300): 1 cases
- [Piper PA-32-300](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-300): 1 cases
- [Piper PA-31T1](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31t1): 1 cases
- [Piper PA-31T](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31t): 1 cases

## Newest cases

- [NTSB DCA26WA267](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26WA267), Jul 7, 2026: Boeing 737 (AP-BOI), Arabian Sea, Pakistan
- [NTSB WPR25LA089](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA089), Feb 1, 2025: Lockheed C-130A (N466TM), Daggett, CA, no damage. Probable cause: An inflight upset due to an improperly secured load that resulted in serious injuries.
- [NTSB DCA25WA019](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA25WA019), Oct 27, 2024: Airbus A330 (ZS-SXJ), International Waters, South Africa, incident, no damage
- [NTSB DCA24WA186](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA24WA186), May 26, 2024: Boeing 787 (A7-BHM), Tbd, Türkiye, no damage
- [NTSB DCA24WA036](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA24WA036), Dec 4, 2023: Boeing 737 Max 8-200 (EI-HET), London, United Kingdom, occurrence, no damage
- [NTSB DCA23WA455](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA23WA455), Sep 6, 2023: Boeing 737 (VH-YQR), Ballina, Australia, incident, no damage
- [NTSB ANC23FA008](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC23FA008), Dec 15, 2022: Raytheon C90A (N13GZ), Kaupo, HI, substantial damage, 3 fatal. Probable cause: Guardian Flight’s inadequate pilot training and performance tracking, which failed to identify and correct the pilot’s consistent lack of skill, and which resulted in the pilot’s inability to…
- [NTSB ERA23FA078](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA078), Dec 4, 2022: Rotorsport UK Cavalon (N401GR), Beverly, MA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s improper yaw control during the takeoff initial climb, which resulted in an excessive sideslip and a subsequent loss of aircraft control.
- [NTSB WPR22LA284](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA284), Jul 27, 2022: Bombardier BD-100-1A10 (N557XJ), San Francisco, CA, no damage. Probable cause: An inflight upset resulting in serious injury to the cabin attendant following an autopilot disconnect for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
- [NTSB GAA22WA274](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA22WA274), May 23, 2022: Beech 90 (F-HHAM), Le Bourget, France, no damage

NTSB has coded findings and defining events since 2008; earlier cases used its older occurrence and cause codes and aren't counted.

Findings: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings.md. Defining events: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events.md. Phases of flight: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases.md. Every investigation, filtered by finding, event, phase, state, year or model: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb.md (for example ?state=MI&fatal=1).

NTSB's definitions: Accident and incident, 49 CFR 830.2 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-VIII/part-830/subpart-A/section-830.2), CICTT occurrence categories (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/OccurrenceCategoryDefinitions.pdf), CICTT phases of flight (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/PhaseofFlightDefinitions.pdf), and NTSB coding manual, before 2008 (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). NTSB publishes no definitions for its findings, only their names.

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