Spatial disorientation

 When a person does not correctly perceive

his position, attitude, motion relative to
earth surface or on A/C or with other A/C
 How do we orientate

Three sensory input systems

1. Visual sense
2. Vestibular sense
3. Proprioceptive receptors
 What eyes have to do

1. Most important sensory input system

2. Give cues of orientation of the body with
respect to immediate surroundings
3. Limited /no utility in poor visibility/night
flying
 What is Vestibular system
• Part of internal ear

• Consists of 3 semi circular canal at right angle to each

other having fluid inside and small stone like organs
called otolith organs.

• Through a system of nerves they give orientation of

head vs. body in six dimension
 Proprioception
• Small nerve endings in tendons of muscles,
joints and joint capsules.
• General position sense for example
• Whether knee joint bent or straight
• Weight on one leg
• Arm stretched or resting
• G forces acting which way
How a person gets disoriented

• Errors of input
• Central errors
 Errors of input

 When a wrong sensory information is being

put up to the brain like establishing false
horizon on top of sloping cloud deck
 Central error

 When correct sensory information is

wrongly perceived at higher mental level
for example there may be an error of
expectancy like landing errors due to up
sloping or down sloping runway
 What is illusion

 False interpretation of sensory input

 LEANS
• Commonest form
• False perception of attitude in roll axis for
Example any prolonged bank at a rate of moment
below the detection threshold of Vestibular system
the pilot will become unaware of the attitude .in the
process of leveling off the pilot will perceive
himself in opposite bank. Recorrection will put him
back into the initial bank.
 Solution

attitude indicator
 Somatogravic illusion

Bodily sensation under effects of G force

Actual attitude Perceived
attitude
• Constant Speed • Level Attitude

• Acceleration • Pitch up sensation

• Increase of speed

• Decelerations • Pitch down

sensation
• Decrease of speed
 Grave yard spin
• Recovery from prolonged spin the pilot
perceives as if a spin started in the opposite
direction correcting from this impression he
goes into another spin in original direction
without any time to recover .
• Hence the name GRAVE YARD SPIN
 G excess illusion
• For example pulling out of dive if the
head is bent forward there is feeling of
nose down. Further correction may result
in stall.
• Solution: - No abrupt movements of head
during maneuvers
 Coriolus illusion
 When a pilot moves his head during
prolonged turn he may perceive that his
aircraft is doing maneuver which it is not
actually doing, if the pilot tries to correct
this he may put the aircraft into dangerous
attitude.
 Solution

avoid abrupt movements during maneauvres

 Auto kinesis
 This phenomenon can be explained by
taking a lighted cigarette into a completely
dark room and staring at it while it appears
to move the reason is that eyes are unable
to remain fixed on a single light viewed
against dark background.
 Solution

 Scanning eye techniques

 Altered planes of reference

 In approaching line of mountain or clouds

there is tendency to climb up. The reverse is
true when leaving such lines
 Solution

 Trust your altitude meter

 Depth perception
• Flying over water or night flying
both situations characterized by
inadequate visual reference.
• May cause poor depth perception
and result in dangerous illusions
during formation flying and landing
Confusion of ground lights with stars

 Solution: - attitude indicator/gyro

Be on guard against spatial
disorientation
1. When the horizon is lost
2. During night flying
3. During change from IFR to VFR or contact to
instruments
4. During flying close to the ground
5. When moving head under +ve G influences
6. When going round again specially during
poor visibility.
1. Believe your instrument when ever in doubt
2. Be proficient in instrument flying technique
3. Never mix IFR and VFR
4. Never ,never move your head side to side or
up down abruptly, if you have to move your
head then do it slowly.
5. Keep yourself physically fit.
6. Avoid even the slightest hypoxia [smoking]

7. CONT’D
• Do not fly while on drugs
• Do not fly with ear troubles
• Watch for flying fatigue
• Strictly avoid alcohol before flying.
• Remember experience does not make you
immune to spatial disorientation
• Spatial disorientation is a normal response to
an abnormal environment. It is nothing to be
ashamed of.
• You must report any disorientation incident
to your flight surgeon because he is
specially trained to advise you in this regard.