Aircraft accident reconstruction is a process of analyzing the motion of an aircraft during a crash sequence and calculating the acceleration of the aircraft during the principal impact. The three phases of a crash sequence are:

1. pre-impact (attitude change);
2. principal impact (occupant injury); and
3. post-impact (final rest).

The pre-impact motion is driven by initial strike forces and aerodynamic forces. The principal impact motion is driven by crash forces due to structural deformation. The post-impact motion is driven by the acceleration of gravity and the force of friction.