Countermeasures for loss of situation awareness: Spatial orientation modeling to reduce mishaps

Spatial disorientation (SD) and loss of aircraft control are the largest contributors to aviation fatalities for both military and civil aviation. A recent report indicates that air carrier mishaps attributed to somatogravic illusions (especially during “go-around”) have not decreased. Go-around is a flight path taken by an aircraft after an aborted approach to landing. Such mishaps are generally associated with a degraded visual environment (DVE) and the increased workload associated with approach to landing. The modeling of pilot spatial orientation is complex as it involves aircraft state parameters, the integration of information from several sensory systems (somatosensory, vestibular, and visual), the intention of the pilot at the controls, the increasing use of automation, and the pilot's total flight hours and types of flight experience. In addition, past models have not included the benefits to situation awareness afforded through tactile cueing and 3-dimensional (3D) audio displays. Tactile cueing and 3D audio displays have the advantage of providing continuous orientation during conditions of distraction when the pilot is not attending to the attitude indicator or outside horizon. The revised model, when accompanied by gaze information, can prevent mishaps by providing real time warning of impending SD to pilots. Alternatively, post mishap analysis can reveal the etiology of sensory failure, leading to material solutions to prevent future mishaps. When the revised spatial orientation model is used to evaluate recent air carrier mishaps involving somatogravic illusions during go-around, it becomes apparent that solutions to SD reside in novel non-visual continuous orientation devices to supplement traditional visual displays.