Having this issue where i am on AP and everything is stable. Then without any input or changes on my part the plane starts drifting right or left and will go into an uncontrollable spiral. It has also happened at various stages of a flight but always on AP.

Happened with the C172, C208, Bonanza and A5. 

Anyone having this issue? 

Almost certainly sounds like a controller issue.  Perhaps a lack of appropriate dead zones, or a 'noisy' potentiometer.  It sounds like something is fighting the AP away from it's commanded path.

Actually it happens with pmdg, blacksqaure, and I just installed ifly max and sure enough did the same tilt and dive.  Something is up.

You probably use some default controller scheme where the wasd keys are bound to the control surfaces and so when you move around the camera you accidently move the ailerons which will eventually make your aircraft lose control.

1 hour ago, JYW said:

Almost certainly sounds like a controller issue.  Perhaps a lack of appropriate dead zones, or a 'noisy' potentiometer.  It sounds like something is fighting the AP away from it's commanded path.

I have the CH Yoke and i don’t have any way i know to set the deadzone. But this seems more like AP just gets turned off. It just rolls over very slowly. But thanks i will look again. 

1 hour ago, sluihn said:

Actually it happens with pmdg, blacksqaure, and I just installed ifly max and sure enough did the same tilt and dive.  Something is up.

What controller do you use? 

57 minutes ago, Farlis said:

You probably use some default controller scheme where the wasd keys are bound to the control surfaces and so when you move around the camera you accidently move the ailerons which will eventually make your aircraft lose control.

I use trackir so could that still be the case? Again, it rolls over like the AP was just turned off. 

Oh I have many controllers but after this latest update started with BS Baron and then PMDG.... I'm going to clear wasm files see if it helps.  When the plane gets in air randomly  starts it's fall it is almost like the flight model has disappeared momentarily and then crash. Sometimes after takeoff sometimes cruise right before decent really strange.  I totally watch the intro to flight sim more than I fly lately

5 hours ago, RobJC said:

I have the CH Yoke and i don’t have any way i know to set the deadzone.

I have a CH yoke as well.  Two things..  The pots can get noisy and drag the autopilot to its limits, and then beyond.

I hold the unit upside down and exercise the yoke in all its axes.. then right side up and it seems to recover.

The deadzones are set in MSFS controller settings.. have a look!

1 hour ago, Bert Pieke said:

I have a CH yoke as well.  Two things..  The pots can get noisy and drag the autopilot to its limits, and then beyond.

I hold the unit upside down and exercise the yoke in all its axes.. then right side up and it seems to recover.

The deadzones are set in MSFS controller settings.. have a look!

Thanks again Bert! I will have another look and try your suggestions. 

This really sounds like the autopilot just isn't on for some reason.  Do you have positive indications that the autopilot is engaged, vs just turned on?  (Differs per aircraft type, of course).

9 hours ago, Farlis said:

You probably use some default controller scheme where the wasd keys are bound to the control surfaces and so when you move around the camera you accidently move the ailerons which will eventually make your aircraft lose control.

Yes, this happened to me. Decided to have a look round the back of my shiny new Bonanza and went into a spiral... forgot to press 'shift' at some point.

Unbound trim and all the other controls from the keyboard after that.

autopilots are the invention of the devil🤐 - too many of the things have tried to kill me over the years🤬

Okay i think i figured it out. My Yoke needed to be calibrated in Windows. It was a little off to the left and i think that little bit was enough pressure to cause it to fall out of auto pilot. Will let you guys know if it happens again. 

Search for 'input viewer' on flightsim.to. It is a small addon that installs to your msfs toolbar and when opened will show the inputs coming from your controls while msfs is running. It will show whether any of your controls are drifting or spiking.

On 1/30/2026 at 2:48 AM, Stearmandriver said:

This really sounds like the autopilot just isn't on for some reason.  Do you have positive indications that the autopilot is engaged, vs just turned on?  (Differs per aircraft type, of course).

Yes, this above was my thought too…and what you’re now leaning towards, it seems.

Somehow, your AP is getting disengaged, though you started with it being “on”. I would click “Z” and “X” keys, in my case, when that happens, to see (visually) if the AP (switch or key) in the cockpit of the a/c is really on or not.

Hope, you figure it out.

Edited February 1Feb 1 by P_7878

3 minutes ago, P_7878 said:

Yes, this above was my thought too…and what you’re now leaning towards, it seems.

Somehow, your AP is getting disengaged, though you started with it being “on”. I would click “Z” and “X” keys, in my case, when that happens, to see (visually) if the AP (switch or key) in the cockpit of the a/c is really on or not.

Hope, you figure it out.

It was the calibration. My CH Yoke was slightly to the left (not dead centered) and that little bit of pressure was more than the AP was able to maintain. One time i added flaps and it drifted right after that. AP still showed engaged but it wasn’t. I have had maybe 5-7 flights since calibration and no issues. 

Thanks for the help!