This paper is an attempt to extend the approach of the second-order work criterion to the analysis of structural system instability. Elastic structural systems with a finite number of freedoms and subjected to a given loading are considered. It is shown that a general equation, relating the second-order time derivative of the kinetic energy to the second-order work, can be derived for kinetic perturbations. The case of constant, nonconservative loadings are then investigated, putting forward the role of the spectral properties of the symmetric part of the tangent stiffness matrix in the occurrence of instability. As an illustration, the case of the generalized Ziegler column is considered and the case of aircraft wings subjected to aeroelastic effects is investigated. In the both cases, the consequences of additional kinematic constraints are discussed.