Definition
A pitch or bank angle of the airplane that is outside the range used in normal flight. Generally defined as a nose-up pitch attitude greater than 25 degrees, a nose-down pitch attitude greater than 10 degrees, or a bank angle greater than 45 degrees, or any flight at airspeeds inappropriate for the conditions.
Plain English
The airplane is pointing too steeply up, too steeply down, banked too far to one side, or flying at a speed that doesn't match what the situation calls for. In short, it's no longer in the range of attitudes used during everyday flying.
Context Anchor
Seen in upset prevention and recovery training when discussing how to recognize and recover from airplane positions that can lead to loss of control.
Derivation
Attitude' in aviation comes from the Latin aptitudo, meaning 'fitness' or 'posture,' and was borrowed into English to describe the position or orientation of a body. In flying, it refers to the airplane's orientation relative to the horizon -- not its mood. 'Abnormal' simply means 'outside the normal range.'
Why Pilots Care
Failing to recognize and correct an abnormal flight attitude can rapidly lead to an upset or loss of control in flight.
Grounding Statement
If you look outside and see much more sky, much more ground, or a strongly tilted horizon than expected, the airplane may be in an abnormal flight attitude.
Intuition Check
Attitude here does not mean mood or mindset. It means the airplane’s physical position in the air: nose up or down, and wings level or banked.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor demonstrated recovery from an abnormal flight attitude by first reducing power, then leveling the wings, and finally returning the nose to the horizon.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot scanned the horizon and instruments to identify the abnormal flight attitude before it developed into a full upset.