17) Failed FLT control system
15 fatal accidents on record
This type of accident is now very rare, but it is possible to have a mis-rigged, unresponsive, broken cable, or even a jammed flight control. Often the aircraft is still controllable to some extent in this condition but it warrants declaring an emergency and asking for all available assistance. Your return may be without incident, or it may not be.
Trend
- Accidents per quarter
- Rolling 12-month average
| Period | Accidents | Rolling 12-month average per quarter |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 2025 | 0 | 2.3 |
| Q2 2025 | 1 | 1.8 |
| Q3 2025 | 0 | 1 |
| Q4 2025 | 1 | 0.5 |
| Q1 2026 | 2 | 1 |
| Q2 2026 | 0 | 0.8 |
| Q3 2026 | 2 | 1.3 |
| Q4 2026 QTD | 0 | 1 |
Lessons
Short reads from the DTSB lesson library for this category.
No lessons for this category yet.
Practice scenarios
What to practice to keep this from happening to you. Fly drills with a qualified instructor at a safe altitude, or in a simulator.
No practice scenarios for this category yet.
Recent accidents in this category
Zenith CH701 | N101XV
17) Failed FLT control systemNTSB: Preliminary
Montana Coyote | N448VQ
17) Failed FLT control systemRobinson R-44 | N478AT
17) Failed FLT control systemBombardier CL-650 | N10KJ
17) Failed FLT control systemBeechcraft 58P | N121GJ
17) Failed FLT control systemNTSB: Preliminary
Cessna 310R | N8930N
17) Failed FLT control system