Spatial Disorientation Flashcards
Spatial Disorientation
Loss of preception of position or motion in relation to the Earth’s surface
Type I
Unrecognized
Crew memeber never realizes it happened
Type II
Recognized
Problem is precieved, but crew may not know what it is
Type III
Incapacitating
Crew cannot reorient themselves
Risk factors
Degraded visual environment Night Ops Weather Task saturation Cockpit distractions Stress/ Fatigue
Hovering at night
Highest risk for spatial disorientation
Vestibular system responsibilites
Detect changes in speed and direction
Pitch, yaw, roll
Vestibular Illusions
Somatogyral and Somatogravic
Somatogyral
Change in speed and direction
Somatogravic
Shange in linear speed
Angular Acceleration
“The Leans”
Graveyard spin
Coriolis
The Leans
Most common form of spatial D
Rarely effects booth pilots at the same time
When a pilot fails to preceive a lateral movemet of the aircraft, but is typically able to recover
Graveyard Spin
Fixed wing - after entering a spin, the semicircular canals even out. Upon exiting the spin, the pilot precievs being in a spin in the opposite direction
Coriolis illusion
Most deadly illusion
During a prolonged turn, the pilot turns their head the opposit way. Creates a tumbling sensation. Often urecoverable
G-Excess
Occurs in sustained Gs > 1
Precieved underbank causing the pilot to overbank the aircraft
