Spatial Disorientation, as it applies to
pilots, can be a serious
confusion that kills. There's not too many other
common situations that can
cause death if you
get confused.
Humans are
visual creatures (for pilots, that means
VFR or
Visual Flight Regulation :) The
senses we use to keep our
balance and know which end is up are wholly
unreliable when we are in
motion, but have no
visual reference with
the outside world (as can happen in
IFR, or
Instrument Flight Regulation conditions).
Training or
experience can't change
natural human inabilities.
Spatial disorientation is an mistaken sense of one's position and
motion relative to the earth. Basically, a condition which deprives the pilot of natural visual references to maintain orientation. Forms of
cloud, darkness, et cetera or types of terrain such as
arctic whiteouts and moonless skies over water can quickly bring a pilot to spatial disorientation. However, pilots have
instruments to indicate directions and orientation of the aircraft
relative to the horizon - although in confusing situations, humans tend to rely first on their senses, and instruments are also culpable to
failure (moreso in
general aviation planes). No matter the cause, it can all end with the same
lethal results.
Some pilots are more trained than others to deal with situations likely to cause spatial disorientation - more specifically
IFR (
Instrument Flight Regulations) rated pilots. IFR Pilots are less likely to become disoriented in flight because they have undergone
training teaching them how to handle the aircraft with no outside visual, and even with various
instrument failures on top of that. However, this does not mean that IFR pilots cannot become disoriented, nor that no VFR pilots are capable of handing these situations.
While the
physiology and
dangers of this condition are taught early on in primary and instrument
flight training, general aviation pilots still show
misunderstandings and unconcernedness about what it is and how to deal with it.
Accidents that can be attributed to spatial disorientation continue to claim the lives of many pilots (and their
passengers) each year.