TY - JOUR
T1 - In-flight Spatial Disorientation Induces Roll Reversal Errors when Using the Attitude Indicator
AU - Landman, Annemarie
AU - Davies, Simon
AU - Groen, Eric L.
AU - van Paassen, Rene
AU - Lawson, Nicholas
AU - Bronkhorst, Adelbert W.
AU - Mulder, Max
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - We hypothesized that an incorrect expectation due to spatial disorientation may induce roll reversal errors. To test this, an in-flight experiment was performed, in which forty non-pilots rolled wings level after receiving motion cues. A No-leans condition (subthreshold motion to a bank angle) was included, as well as a Leans-opposite condition (leans cues, opposite to the bank angle) and a Leans-level condition (leans cues, but level flight). The presence of leans cues led to an increase of the roll reversal error (RRE) rate by a factor of 2.6. There was no significant difference between the Leans-opposite and Leans-level condition. This suggests that the expectation strongly affects the occurrence of an RRE, and that people tend to base their responses on motion cues instead of on information on the AI. We conclude that expectation and spatial disorientation have a large effect on piloting errors and may cause hazardous aircraft upsets.
AB - We hypothesized that an incorrect expectation due to spatial disorientation may induce roll reversal errors. To test this, an in-flight experiment was performed, in which forty non-pilots rolled wings level after receiving motion cues. A No-leans condition (subthreshold motion to a bank angle) was included, as well as a Leans-opposite condition (leans cues, opposite to the bank angle) and a Leans-level condition (leans cues, but level flight). The presence of leans cues led to an increase of the roll reversal error (RRE) rate by a factor of 2.6. There was no significant difference between the Leans-opposite and Leans-level condition. This suggests that the expectation strongly affects the occurrence of an RRE, and that people tend to base their responses on motion cues instead of on information on the AI. We conclude that expectation and spatial disorientation have a large effect on piloting errors and may cause hazardous aircraft upsets.
KW - Aviation
KW - Displays
KW - Spatial disorientation
KW - Surprise
KW - Upset recovery
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85069654587&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.apergo.2019.102905
DO - 10.1016/j.apergo.2019.102905
M3 - Article
SN - 0003-6870
VL - 81
JO - Applied Ergonomics: human factors in technology and society
JF - Applied Ergonomics: human factors in technology and society
M1 - 102905
ER -