Spatial disorientation: Decades of pilot fatalities

Aviation Space and Environmental Medicine

Volumn 82, Issue 7, 2011, Pages 717-724

  Gibb, Randy ^a   Ercoline, Bill ^b   Scharff, Lauren ^a  

^a UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY   (United States)

^b USAF   (United States)

Author keywords

Aviation accidents; Aviation mishaps; Aviation safety; Aviation spatial orientation; Aviation training simulators

Indexed keywords

AEROSPACE MEDICINE; AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT; ARTICLE; CONFUSION; DEPTH PERCEPTION; HUMAN; MORTALITY; ORIENTATION; STATISTICS;

ACCIDENTS, AVIATION; AEROSPACE MEDICINE; CONFUSION; HUMANS; ORIENTATION; SPACE PERCEPTION;

EID: 79959721630     PISSN: 00956562     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.3357/ASEM.3048.2011     Document Type: Article

References (53)

1. nd FW. Homestead Air Reserve Base, FL: U.S. Air Force; 15 January 2008.
2. Accident Investigation Board, United States Air Force: F-16CM, T/N 89-2108, 421 FS, 388 FW. Hill AFB, UT: U.S. Air Force; 22 June 2009.
3. Accident Investigation Board. United States Air Force: F-15E, T/N 90-0231, 366 EFS, 455 AEW. Afghanistan: U.S. Air Force; 2009: 18.
4. Baijal R, Jha VN, Sinha A, Sharma SK. Simulator based spatial disorientation training in the Indian Air Force. Indian Journal of Aerospace Medicine 2006; 50: 1 - 6. Retrieved 24 November 2010 from http://medind.nic.in/iab/t06/i2/iabt06i2p1.pdf.
5. Barnum F, Bonner RH. Epidemiology of USAF spatial disorientation aircraft accidents, 1 Jan 1958 - 31 Dec 1968. Aerosp Med 1971; 42: 896 - 8.
6. Benson AJ. Spatial disorientation - general aspects. In: Ernsting J, King P, eds. Aviation medicine. Boston: Butterworth; 1988: 2772 - 96.
7. Benson AJ. Spatial disorientation - a perspective. Paper presented at the Research and Technology Organization and Human Factors and Medicine Symposium on Spatial Disorientation in Military Vehicles: Causes, Consequences and Cures; 2002 April; La Coruna, Spain. HFM-085, RTO-MP-086. Retrieved 22 February 2011 from http://www.rta.nato.int/Pubs/RDP.asp?RDP=RTO-MP-086.
8. Bles W. Spatial disorientation training - demonstration and avoidance. NATO RTO, TR- HFM-118, October 2008. Retrieved 18 March 2011 from http://www.rta.nato.int/pubs/rdp.asp?RDP=RTO-TR-HFM-118.
9. Braithwaite MG. The British Army Air corps in-flight spatial disorientation demonstration sortie. Aviat Space Environ Med 1997; 68: 342 - 5.
10. Braithwaite MG, Durnford SJ, Crowley JS, Rosado NR, Albano JP. Spatial disorientation in US Army rotary-wing operations. Aviat Space Environ Med 1998; 69: 1031 - 7.
11. Braithwaite MG, Hudgens JJ, Estrada A, Alvarez EA. An evaluation of the British Army spatial disorientation sortie in U.S. Army aviation. Aviat Space Environ Med 1998; 69: 727 - 32.
12. Civil Aeronautics Board. Accident involving civil aircraft of the U.S. NC 15376 which occurred in San Juan Harbor, Puerto Rico, on October 3, 1941; 1942. Retrieved 23 February 2009 from http://dotlibrary1.specialcollection.net/scripts/ws.dll?websearchandsite=dot_aircraftacc.
13. Civil Aeronautics Board. Northwest airlines, Inc., Douglas DC-6B, N575, Minneapolis, MN, August 28, 1958. Investigations of aircraft accidents 1934-1965, File No. 1-0038; 1959. Retrieved 23 March 2009 from http://dotlibrary1.specialcollection.net/scripts/ws.dll?websearchandsite=dot_aircraftacc.
14. Daly K. Lighting upgrades enhance North Sea helicopter safety. Flightglobal, September 2009. Retrieved 24 November 2010 from http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/09/22/332475/lighting-upgrades-enhance-north-sea-helicopter-safety.html.
15. Davenport NA, Delorey D, Wechgelaer P, Alton J. U.S. Naval aviation safety review [abstract]. Aviat Space Environ Med 2010; 81: 264.
16. Ercoline WR. Spatial disorientation (SD) trainer. Final Report, Project 2003-0036. Randolph AFB, TX: Air Education and Training Command, Education and Training Technology Appli cation Program (ETTAP); February 2005.
17. Gibb RW. Historical assessment of visual spatial disorientation [abstract]. Aviat Space Environ Med 2010; 81: 318.
18. Gibb RW, Gray R, Scharff L. Aviation visual perception: research, misperception, & mishaps. Surrey, England: Ashgate; 2010.
19. Gillingham KK. The spatial disorientation problem in the United States Air Force. J Vestib Res 1992; 2: 297 - 306.
20. Grimshaw T. Integrating spatial disorientation training into rotary wing flight simulators: focus on refresher training [abstract]. Aviat Space Environ Med 2010; 81: 319.
21. Hodgson DA. Pilot vision during final approach-and-landing in turbojet transport operations. Aerosp Med 1971; 42: 205 - 8.
22. th Annual Meeting; October 9-13, 1995; San Diego, CA. Santa Monica, CA: HFES; 1995: 30 - 4.
23. Holmes SR, Bunting A, Brown DL, Hiatt KL, Braithwaite MG, Harrigan MJ. Survey of spatial disorientation in military pilots and navigators. Aviat Space Environ Med 2003; 74: 957 - 65.
24. Klein GA. Sources of power: how people make decisions. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press; 1998.
25. Leland D. Night VFR... an oxymoron. Retrieved 23 March 2009 from http://www.aweronews.net/columns/avsoapbox.cfm.
26. Lessard CS. Spatial dsisorientation: dealing with aeronautical illusions. IEEE Eng Med Biol Mag 2000; 19: 25 - 7.
27. Lyons TJ, Freeman JE. Spatial disorientation (SD) mishaps in the U.S. Air Force - 1988 [abstract]. Aviat Space Environ Med 1990; 61: 459.
28. Mathews RSJ, Previc F, Bunting A. USAF spatial disorientation survey. Paper presented at the Research and Technology Organization and Human Factors and Medicine Symposium on Spatial Disorientation in Military Vehicles: Causes, Consequences and Cures; 2002 April; La Coruna, Spain. HFM-085, RTO-MP-086. Retrieved 22 February 2011 from http://www.rta.nato.int/Pubs/RDP.asp?RDP=RTO-MP-086.
29. McGrath BJ, Gierber G, Rupert AH. Can we prevent SD? The tactile-situation-awareness system. Approach; May 2004.
30. McGrath BJ, Rupert AH, Guedry FE. Analysis of spatial disorientation mishaps in the U.S. Navy. Paper presented at the Research and Technology Organization and Human Factors and Medicine Symposium on Spatial Disorientation in Military Vehicles: Causes, Consequences and Cures; 2002 April; La Coruna, Spain. HFM-085, RTO-MP-086. Retrieved 22 February 2011 from http://www.rta.nato.int/Pubs/RDP.asp?RDP=RTO-MP-086.
31. National Transportation Safety Board. Aircraft accident report, Pan American World Airways, Inc., Boeing 707-3215, N454A, Pago Pago, America Samoa, January 30, 1974. Washington, DC: NTSB; 1977. Report No. NTSB-AAR-77-7.
32. National Transportation Safety Board. Controlled flight into terrain, Korean Air Flight 801, Nimitz Hill, Guam, 6 August 1997. Washington, DC: NTSB; 1997. Report No. NTSB-AAR-00-01.
33. National Transportation Safety Board. Accident occurred July 16, 1999 in Vineyard Haven, MA. Washington, DC: NTSB; 1999. NTSB ID: NYC99MA178.
34. Neubauer JC. Classifying spatial disorientation mishaps using different definitions. IEEE Eng Med Biol Mag 2000; 19: 28 - 34.
35. Newman DG. An overview of spatial disorientation as a factor in aviation accidents and incidents. Canberra, ACT, Australia: Australian Transport Safety Bureau; 2007. Research and Analysis Report B2007/0063.
36. Nuttall JB, Sanford WG. Spatial disorientation in operational flight. In: Evrard E, Bergeret P, van Wulfften Palthe PM, eds. Medical aspects of flight safety. London: AGARD/Pergamon; 1959: 73 - 91.
37. Ostinga J. The wrong approach. Flight Safety Australia; Jul-Aug 2000: 23 - 9.
38. Ostinga J, Wolff M, Newman D, White S. What killed JFK, Jr.? Flight Safety Australia; Nov-Dec 1999: 22 - 9.
39. Rumsfeld D. Reducing preventable accidents, formal memorandum, U.S. Secretary of Defense, 19 May 2003. Retrieved 22 February 2011 from http://www.acq.osd.mil/atptf/policy/documents/OSD-Memo-reduceaccident_19May03.pdf.
40. Rupert AH. An instrumentation solution for reducing spatial disorientation mishaps. IEEE Eng Med Biol Mag 2000; 19: 71 - 80.
41. Simpson G, Mason S. Economic analysis in ergonomics. In: Wilson JR, Corlett EN, eds. Evaluation of human work: a practical ergonomics methodology. Philadelphia: Taylor & Francis; 2002: 1017 - 38.
42. United Kingdom Air Accident Investigation Report. Report number 07/2008, EW/C2006/12/03. Air Accidents Investigations Branch. Retrieved 23 January 2009 from http://www.aaib.gov.uk/sites/aaib/home/index.cfm.
43. United States Air Force Safety Center. Mishap data. Kirtland AFB, NM: U.S. Air Force Safety Center; 2010.
44. United States Air Force Safety Center. USAF FY09 aviation mishap review. Kirtland AFB, NM: U.S. Air Force Safety Center; 15 December 2009.
45. United States Air Force. Manual of instrument flying. Washington, DC: U.S. Air Force; 11 - 217, Vol I.; 2005.
46. United States Naval Aviation Safety Center. Annual mishap data. Norfolk, VA: U.S. Naval Aviation Safety Center; 2009.
47. Veronneau SJH, Evans RH. Spatial disorientation mishap classification, data, and investigation. In: Previc FH, Ercoline WR, eds. Spatial disorientation in aviation. Progress in astronautics and aeronautics, Vol. 203. Reston, VA: AIAA; 2004: 197 - 241.
48. Vinacke WE. Illusions experienced by aircraft pilots while flying. J Aviat Med 1947; 18: 308 - 25.
49. Walker AD, Owens JM, Muth ER. Major causes of spatial disorientation and the role of visual training systems: a survey of experts. International Journal of Professional Aviation Training and Testing Research 2009; 3: 12 - 18.
50. Webster N. Spatial disorientation. Approach; May-Jun 2004:2 - 3.
51. Wechgelaer P, Johnson K, Lett T. Spatial disorientation in U.S. Naval aviation 1990-2000 [abstract]. Proceedings of Aerospace Medical Association Conference; 2003 May; San Antonio, TX. Alexandria, VA: Aerospace Medical Association; 2003: 145.
52. Williams S, Johnson B. The mishap that will kill you. Flightlines; Winter 2010; 23:20 - 1. Retrieved 22 November 2010 from http://www.sousaffs.org/FLarchives/FL-2010Winter.pdf.
53. Yauch DW, Ercoline WR, Previc F, Holoviak SF. Advanced spatial disorientation demonstrator: component, profile, and training. Advisory Group for Aerospace Research & Development (AGARD), Proceedings 588, Selection & Training in Aviation, November 1996, Prague, Czech Republic; 1996:28.