Spatial Disorientation: Causes, Consequences and Countermeasures for the USAF

Spatial disorientation (SD) remains a serious drain on USAF resources and personnel. During the ten-year period of 1990-1999, the USAF experienced 36 SD-related Class A mishaps costing a total of $557M and the loss of 44 aircrew. SD is the single most common cause of human-related aircraft accidents. The causes of SD are complex and require an understanding of the types of SD, the physiology and psychology of flight, and the way pilots train for the prevention of SD. Research has shown there are three distinct types of SD unrecognized, recognized and incapacitating. Each type impacts the pilot in a different way, and each should be thoroughly understood by the pilot before he or she experiences them in flight. Results from a study of the Post-Roll Illusion (Type I), the Graveyard Spin Illusion (Type II), and a report from a pilot who experienced the Giant Hand Illusion (Type III) is presented. Spatial orientation training techniques are included. Finally, the USAF's Spatial Disorientation Countermeasures Program, designed to reduce the number of SD mishaps, is also presented. This program emphasizes shared knowledge across all flying communities, including research in the areas of attitude awareness (visual and vestibular), multi-sensory integration (3-D audio and tactile stimulation), and both ground-based training and flight- based demonstrations. Although the phenomenon of spatial disorientation (SD) has been described and documented by many, both researcher and aircrew, since the earliest days of aviation, a complete understanding of the complex mechanisms and interactions has remained elusive. The economic consequences alone of SD are enormous, both in cost of lost aircraft and cost of training new aircrew. This paper will provide examples of different types of SD, the interrelationship of SD to loss of situational awareness (LSA), and a brief summary of the US Air Force Research Laboratory's current SD Countermeasures program.