How long did the 2010 Flash Crash take to erase and recover much of the market’s plunge?

The 2010 Flash Crash took about 36 minutes to erase and recover much of the market’s plunge.

On May 6, 2010, US stock markets experienced an exceptionally rapid decline. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell nearly 1,000 points, or about 9%, before recovering much of the loss by the close. The episode affected stocks, futures, options, and exchange-traded funds, with some securities briefly trading at extremely unusual prices.

Investigations found that a large automated sell order, combined with stressed market conditions and high-frequency trading activity, helped accelerate the collapse. Later investigations identified trader Navinder Singh Sarao as contributing to the event through spoofing activity, although the crash resulted from interacting market mechanisms rather than one simple cause.

The episode led exchanges and regulators to strengthen circuit breakers and market-monitoring systems. It is distinct from a conventional crash that unfolds over days or months.