Maestro

Spatial Disorientation

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/

16.459 - Humans and Automation Journal Club Kevin Duda April 17, 2002

April 17, 2002

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Kevin Duda

NTSB Report: NYC99MA178
VFRConditions at night Descent of 400 – 800 fpm Entered a right turn, stopped at 2,200 feet Climbed to 2,600 feet, Entered a left turn
– Descending 900 fpm

Rate of descent increased to ~4,700 fpmAirplane struck the water in a nose-down attitude Can you identify the cause?
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Spatial Disorientation, A Definition
“[A failure] to sense correctly the position, motion, orattitude of the aircraft or of him/herself within the fixed coordinate system provided by the surface of the earth and the gravitational vertical.” (Benson, 1998)

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Kevin DudaLost Resources, An Issue
Military
– 1980 – 89, $500M in USAF resources lost – Currently, $100M per year

General Aviation
– 1976 – 92, ~10% of fatalities resulted from SD – Numbers havedeclined
(Fatal General Aviation Accidents Involving Spatial Disorientation: 1976-1992, Collins and Dollar (1996) )

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Types of Spatial Disorientation
Type I
–Unrecognized (most common)

Type II
– Recognized (more traditional)

Type III
– Incapacitating (least known and understood)

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Kevin Duda

Physiological Mechanisms
VisualOrientation
– Object Recognition, Spatial Orientation

Vestibular Function
– Stabilize Vision, Orientational Information,

Percept of Motion and Position

Auditory
– Location of Sound SourceApril 17, 2002 7 Kevin Duda

Dynamics
Visual Dominance Vestibular Suppression Opportunism Giant Hand Disintegration of Flying Skill

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/

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Kevin DudaResearch and Technology Development
Human Systems IAC Gateway (Vol. XII, No.3 (2001)
– Measuring the Head Tilt Illusion During Sustained – – – –

Acceleration Canadian Approach to Spatial...