Why did my aircraft crash while on autopilot in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020?
Your aircraft usually crashes on autopilot in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 because the autopilot is following the wrong mode, commanding an unsafe climb or descent, fighting a control-input conflict, or trying to fly an aircraft that is already unstable. Autopilot does not “save” a bad setup; it simply follows the instructions it is given.
Why does an aircraft crash on autopilot in MSFS 2020?
In most cases, the autopilot itself is not the real problem. What goes wrong is the combination of aircraft state, selected mode, power, trim, weather, or navigation source.
A simple example: if we arm a large vertical speed climb without enough power, the aircraft keeps pitching up to chase that target until speed decays, then it stalls. From the cockpit it looks like the autopilot caused the crash, but it was really obeying an unrealistic command.
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft pitches up, slows, then stalls | Vertical speed or altitude capture set too aggressively | Reduce climb rate, add power, check trim and airspeed mode |
| Aircraft dives or overspeeds | Descent mode, throttle mismanagement, or level change mode chasing speed | Watch selected speed, thrust, and descent rate |
| Aircraft turns the wrong way or spirals | Wrong nav source or flight plan issue | Check GPS/VLOC, heading mode, and route continuity |
| Autopilot appears to fight the controls | Joystick, yoke, trim wheel, or duplicate bindings sending input | Look for constant pitch, roll, or trim inputs |
| Autopilot disconnects, then loss of control follows | Manual input, trim runaway, overspeed, stall, or aircraft limitation | Listen for disconnect alert and verify mode annunciations |
| Works in clear weather, fails in cloud or ice | Icing, turbulence, or poor anti-ice use | Check ice build-up, de-ice systems, and weather strength |
The most common causes of autopilot crashes
1. The wrong autopilot mode was engaged
This is the big one. Many sim pilots think they turned on “autopilot”, but what they actually engaged was a specific lateral or vertical mode that told the aircraft to do something unsafe.
Heading mode will not follow your route. Vertical speed mode will not protect airspeed by itself. Approach mode will not magically sort out a badly set radio or an incorrect intercept.
Always read the flight mode annunciator on the primary flight display or autopilot panel. The aircraft will do what the active mode says, not what we intended.
2. Climb or descent settings were unrealistic
If we ask too much of the aircraft, it will run out of performance. A common mistake in MSFS 2020 is selecting a steep climb rate after take-off, especially in hot weather, at high altitude, or in a heavy aircraft.
The same goes for descents. A rapid descent can lead to overspeed, unstable capture, or a sudden pitch change when the autopilot tries to recover.
When in doubt, use a gentler climb or descent and keep a close eye on airspeed. If the speed trend is getting worse, intervene early.
3. Trim or controller inputs were fighting the autopilot
MSFS 2020 is very sensitive to duplicate bindings and noisy hardware. A second device mapped to elevator trim, pitch, or autopilot disconnect can quietly ruin an otherwise normal flight.
If the aircraft constantly porpoises, rolls unexpectedly, or drops out of autopilot when you are not touching anything, suspect a hardware conflict first. We see this often with yokes, gamepads, rudder pedals, and trim wheels all connected at once.
Runaway trim is especially dangerous. If trim keeps moving while the autopilot is engaged, the aircraft can quickly reach a point where disconnecting becomes difficult to recover from.
4. The navigation source was wrong
If the aircraft is meant to follow the GPS flight plan but the nav source is set to a radio navigation source instead, it may ignore the route or turn sharply trying to capture something else. The reverse also happens on approaches: the pilot expects localiser guidance, but the aircraft is still in GPS mode.
That mismatch can produce wild intercepts, S-turns, or dives during approach. In airliners and more complex add-ons, one small FMS or radio setup error can cascade into a very bad autopilot response.
5. The aircraft was already out of trim or unstable before engagement
Autopilot is not supposed to be engaged in a badly trimmed, rapidly changing, or poorly configured aircraft. If we switch it on during a sharp climb, after an aggressive turn, or with flaps and power in an odd state, it may take a large control input to stabilise the aircraft.
Sometimes it cannot. That is when we see a sudden pitch-up, a ballooning climb, or a dive that looks like a system failure but is really a poor hand-off to the automation.
6. Weather, turbulence, or icing pushed the aircraft beyond what the autopilot could handle
Strong turbulence can make light aircraft wander badly even with autopilot engaged. Icing is worse. Ice increases drag, reduces lift, and can confuse speed and pitch management enough to cause a stall or loss of control.
If the crash only happens in live weather, check for visible icing, severe gusts, mountain wave effects, and convective weather. Autopilot is not a substitute for anti-ice, de-ice, or sensible route planning.
7. A specific aircraft or add-on had its own autopilot quirks
Not every aircraft in MSFS 2020 behaves the same way. Default aircraft, third-party aircraft, and community modifications can all implement autopilot logic differently. Some are highly realistic; some are fragile; some need a particular startup sequence or avionics state.
If the problem happens in one aircraft only, that points away from the simulator as a whole and towards that aircraft, its configuration, or an out-of-date add-on package in the Community folder.
How do we troubleshoot an autopilot crash in MSFS 2020?
- Recreate the flight in clear weather. Turn live weather off and use calm conditions. If the problem disappears, weather or icing is likely involved.
- Use one aircraft only. Test the same route in a simple default aircraft first. If that works, the issue is probably aircraft-specific.
- Stabilise before engagement. Hand-fly straight and level, set sensible power, trim the aircraft, then engage the autopilot. Do not switch it on in the middle of a big correction.
- Check the active modes. Confirm whether the aircraft is in heading, nav, altitude hold, vertical speed, flight level change, approach, or another mode. The annunciations matter more than the button you thought you pressed.
- Reduce vertical demands. Use a modest climb or descent target. If airspeed starts bleeding away or rising too fast, disengage and correct immediately.
- Inspect controller bindings. Disconnect extra devices if needed and look for duplicate pitch, roll, trim, and autopilot-disconnect assignments. Even a slightly noisy axis can cause trouble.
- Verify the nav source. Make sure the aircraft is actually following the intended source, especially when switching from en-route GPS guidance to an ILS or VOR-based approach.
- Test without community add-ons. Temporarily empty the Community folder or move suspect aircraft and avionics mods out of it. If stability returns, one of the add-ons was interfering.
- Watch weight and balance. An aft centre of gravity, odd fuel loading, or severe imbalance can make autopilot behaviour much worse.
What should the aircraft be doing before you turn autopilot on?
We want it trimmed, reasonably stable, and within normal speed limits. That means no steep pitch changes, no sloppy turns, and no wildly fluctuating power setting.
A good rule is this: if the aircraft feels awkward to hand-fly at that moment, it is a bad moment to hand it to the autopilot. Fix the aeroplane first, then engage the automation.
If the aircraft crashes only on approach
Approach autopilot problems are usually tied to setup rather than basic flight control. Check three things first:
- Correct frequency or procedure selected for the approach
- Correct nav source active at the right time
- Reasonable intercept angle and altitude before arming approach mode
If we try to capture the localiser from too far off course, too high, or with the wrong source selected, the aircraft may make dramatic corrections. That often ends in a missed approach at best, and a crash at worst.
If the aircraft crashes only in cruise
Cruise failures tend to be speed, trim, or route related. Watch for slow speed creep during climbs, sudden route discontinuities, fuel imbalance, or an accidental switch from managed navigation to heading hold.
Also check sim rate. If time acceleration was used and then forgotten, autopilot behaviour can become erratic very quickly, especially in weather or during climbs and descents.
Quick checklist to stop it happening again
- Trim and stabilise before engaging autopilot
- Use sensible climb and descent targets
- Read the active autopilot modes, not just the selected buttons
- Confirm GPS or radio nav source is correct
- Remove duplicate controller and trim bindings
- Avoid icing and severe turbulence unless the aircraft is equipped and configured for it
- Test suspect aircraft without other mods loaded
If you want to expand your simulator with carefully organised aircraft, scenery, and utilities while troubleshooting compatibility, our MSFS downloads library is here: https://flyawaysimulation.com/downloads/.
The short answer is that autopilot crashes in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 nearly always come from setup, mode selection, aircraft state, or control conflicts. Once we identify which of those four is at fault, the fix is usually straightforward.