The prediction accuracy of aeroelastic stability in fans and compressors depends crucially on the accuracy of the underlying aerodynamic predictions. The prevalent approach in the field solves the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier—Stokes equations in the presence of blade vibration. Given the unsteady, three-dimensional and often separated nature of the flow in the regimes of aeroelastic interest, the confidence in URANS methods is questionable. This paper uses the simple test case of a pitching symmetric aerofoil with a sharp leading edge to illustrate the challenges of aeroelastic modelling. It compares coupled numerical simulations against time-resolved experimental measurements. The unsteady aerodynamic response of the pitching blade and its dependency on tip-clearance flow and time-averaged incidence angle are analyzed. The results indicate that differences in the unsteady aerodynamics between different numerical approaches close to stall can have a significant impact on local aerodynamic damping. Furthermore, for the chosen test case there is a strong correspondence between the local quasi-steady and unsteady behaviour which weakens, but is still present, towards stall.