Loss of control (LOC), also known as upset aircraft (ASW, 2/13, p. 18) was the leading cause of large commercial jet accidents worldwide in the 2001–2010 decade. According to the Boeing Statistical Summary,1 20 fatal accidents of 87 reported in the period were caused by LOC. These LOC accidents resulted in 1,756 onboard fatalities as well as 231 external fatalities.
Following several high-profile upset accidents, colleagues and I reviewed airline LOC accidents and published a report on the findings in 2008.2 That review included transport category and commuter airline operations during the 15 years from 1993 through 2007. The period was chosen to provide a reasonable statistical sample while avoiding a possible discontinuity caused by the introduction of fly-by-wire (FBW) technology. There were 75 accidents in that study period, with 3,261 fatalities. Major areas of concern included 27 stalls, 20 upsets caused by ice-contaminated airfoils an…
