Definition
Aircraft pitch and bank positions that are unintentional, unexpected, or beyond those used in normal flight, such as an extreme nose-high or nose-low attitude, an excessive bank, or a combination of both. They typically result from disorientation, distraction, turbulence, wake encounters, or improper control inputs, and require prompt, deliberate recovery action.
Plain English
The plane has ended up pointing or rolling in a way the pilot didn't intend — nose too high, nose too low, banked too steeply, or some combination — and needs to be brought back to normal flight.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument flying and steep-turn training, especially when the pilot must use the flight instruments to notice and correct an unexpected airplane position.
Derivation
‘Abnormal’ comes from Latin ‘ab-’ (away from) and ‘norma’ (rule or standard) — literally ‘away from the standard.’ ‘Attitude’ in aviation refers to the aircraft's orientation relative to the horizon. So an abnormal flight attitude is simply an orientation that has departed from the standard or expected one.
Why Pilots Care
Unrecognized abnormal attitudes can quickly lead to loss of control, especially in instrument meteorological conditions where visual references are absent.
Grounding Statement
If the nose or wings are not where they should be for the maneuver, the aircraft is in an abnormal flight attitude.
Intuition Check
Do not read attitude as emotion or behavior here. In aviation, attitude means the airplane’s nose-and-wing position; abnormal means that position is not right for what the aircraft should be doing.
Example Sentence 1
During the steep turn, the student let the bank increase past 60 degrees, putting the aircraft in an abnormal flight attitude that required immediate correction.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot scanned the attitude indicator and immediately recognized the abnormal flight attitudes caused by turbulence.