Spatial Disorientation
Spatial Disorientation is defined as the pilot's erroneous perception of an aircraft's position, attitude, or motion relative to the Earth's surface, often caused by sensory, vestibular, or visual misinformation. There are three types of Spatial D. Type 1 is Unrecognized- It is the most dangerous because pilots do not percieve any indication of spatial d. Type 2 is recognized- pilot perceives a problem but may fail to recognize it as spatial d. Type 3 is incapacitating- pilot experiences overwhelming sensation of movement. While there are ways to prevent SD, it is much easier said than done. A few ways to prevent SD are training instrument profeciency, good health, and aircraft design. Never fly VMC and IMC at the same time. Never fly without visual reference points. Avoid fatigue, smoking, hypoglycemia, hypoxia, and anxiety. A few ways to treat are to delay intuative actions, refer to your instruments and transfer the controls to other pilot. SD can have a major impact o...