Why does Microsoft Flight Simulator keep crashing?

Microsoft Flight Simulator usually keeps crashing because of an incompatible add-on, damaged cache or package, graphics-driver fault, exhausted RAM or VRAM, unstable overclock, or overlay. Update the simulator, test with every add-on disabled, rebuild the rolling cache, reduce demanding settings, then inspect Windows crash records to isolate the remaining cause.

This process applies to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, although their menus and content systems differ. On PC, a crash to desktop without an error message is common; the point at which it happens is usually more useful than the absence of a message.

What usually causes Microsoft Flight Simulator crashes?

The timing and repeatability of the crash provide the strongest initial clues.

How do I stop Microsoft Flight Simulator from crashing?

The fastest reliable fix is to establish a clean baseline, then restore features one category at a time.

1. Cold-start and update everything. Fully close Microsoft Flight Simulator rather than resuming a suspended session. Restart the PC or console, complete the simulator and operating-system updates, and update the GPU driver on PC. If crashes began immediately after a driver change, test the previous stable driver instead of assuming the newest one must be better.
2. Reproduce the crash with a simple flight. Use a default aircraft, default airport, clear preset weather and daytime conditions. Turn off live traffic, multiplayer and VR temporarily. If this works, restore each feature separately until the crash returns.
3. Remove optional content. If Microsoft Flight Simulator offers Safe Mode after an abnormal shutdown, use it. Otherwise, move or rename the Community folder and disable recently installed Marketplace packages where the simulator permits it. Emptying Community alone does not rule out Marketplace content.
4. Rebuild the rolling cache. Delete the rolling cache through the simulator's data or online settings, then allow it to create a fresh one. Do not delete the main Official, streamed-content or installed-package directories while attempting a cache fix.
5. Reduce resource pressure. Lower Terrain Level of Detail, Object Level of Detail, texture resolution and traffic. Cap the frame rate and disable frame generation while testing. In MSFS 2020, try DirectX 11 if the installed build offers both DirectX 11 and DirectX 12; do not expect that choice on every version or platform.
6. Remove software hooks and unstable tuning. Close recording tools, performance overlays, monitoring utilities and third-party frame limiters. Return CPU, GPU and memory tuning to stock settings temporarily, including undervolts and performance memory profiles. A setting that is stable in other games can still fail under a long MSFS workload.
7. Check the crash evidence. Use Reliability Monitor and Event Viewer to look for a repeating faulting module, driver or exception code. Our walk-through for finding and interpreting MSFS crash records explains which details are useful and which are merely generic Windows entries.
8. Repair the installation last. Use the platform's repair or file-verification function only after testing without add-ons. Back up the Community folder and note the installed-package location first, because verification can trigger a large package check or reacquisition.

How can I find which add-on is crashing MSFS?

The quickest method is a binary search: test half of the add-ons, then repeatedly halve the failing group.

1. Preserve the failing test. Use the same aircraft, airport, route and weather each time.
2. Move all Community packages out. Confirm that the flight works without them.
3. Restore half the packages. If the crash returns, the suspect is in that half; if not, test the other half.
4. Repeat until one package remains. Check its dependencies too, particularly shared libraries, avionics packages and liveries tied to a specific aircraft.

A mistake we see constantly is restoring every aircraft and scenery package after one successful menu launch. The real test is completing the flight phase that previously crashed. Aircraft systems compiled as WASM need separate attention; use our guide to diagnosing WASM-related crashes when a particular aircraft or avionics package triggers the failure.

Why does MSFS crash at large airports or after take-off?

Crashes that appear only in dense areas usually indicate rising CPU, GPU, RAM or VRAM demand rather than a damaged base installation.

• Texture Resolution and high-resolution aircraft or airport textures increase VRAM use.
• Terrain and Object Level of Detail raise CPU demand and the amount of scenery held or processed.
• AI and live traffic add aircraft models, airport activity and CPU load.
• Render scaling and resolution increase GPU load, especially with multiple displays or VR.
• Third-party airports can combine dense geometry, large textures and custom modules in one location.

Change one setting group at a time and repeat the same flight. Our graphics-settings guide for reducing CPU, GPU and VRAM load explains which controls to lower for each bottleneck.

If the crash happens specifically while switching between normal display and VR, treat that as a separate fault pattern. Work through the VR transition crash checklist rather than changing unrelated scenery settings.

What do MSFS crash logs actually tell me?

Crash records provide diagnostic clues, but a single exception code rarely proves the cause.

For example, 0xc0000005 is a generic access violation; it does not automatically mean that physical RAM is defective. Entries naming ntdll.dll or KERNELBASE.dll are also often the final point of failure rather than the original cause.

A fault repeatedly naming the same GPU driver, add-on module or external utility is far more useful. If the named module changes from crash to crash under heavy load, test temperatures, memory stability, power delivery and stock clock settings before reinstalling the simulator.

How do I fix MSFS crashes on Xbox or PlayStation 5?

On consoles, isolate downloaded content and stale session data because driver changes and Windows crash logs are unavailable.

1. Fully quit the simulator. Do not rely on a resumed or suspended session; power-cycle the console before testing again.
2. Install system and simulator updates. Allow content updates to finish before loading a flight.
3. Remove recent optional content. Disable or uninstall newly added aircraft, liveries and airports first.
4. Run a simple default flight. Use a default aircraft and airport with live traffic and multiplayer disabled.
5. Check free storage. Very limited space can interfere with updates and cached data.
6. Reinstall only after the clean test fails. Avoid deleting cloud-synchronised save data as an early troubleshooting step because it may remove control mappings, logbook data or other settings.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is available on Xbox but was never released for PlayStation. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro, so PlayStation troubleshooting applies only to the 2024 simulator.

Should I reinstall Microsoft Flight Simulator?

Reinstallation should be the final step, not the first, because it does not fix incompatible add-ons, unstable hardware, overlays or a cloud-synchronised configuration problem.

Reinstall only when the simulator still crashes with optional content removed, caches rebuilt, stock hardware settings restored and a basic default flight tested. After reinstalling, launch and test the clean simulator before restoring any add-ons; copying the entire old Community folder back at once can immediately restore the original fault.