MODEL ANALYSIS OF SOMATOGRAVIC ILLUSION IN ACCIDENTS RELATED TO A GO-AROUND.

BACKGROUND: Sustained aircraft forward acceleration can often lead pilots to have an illusory sense that the aircraft is pitching. Known as the somatogravic illusion, this can occur during a "go-around" maneuver when a landing approach is aborted. The resulting pilot spatial disorientation can coincide with incorrect pilot control inputs which can lead to an accident due to go-arounds often occurring at low altitudes. Conceptually, it is thought the somatogravic illusion occurs due to the otoliths of the vestibular system (and other graviceptors) being unable to distinguish between inertial acceleration and gravity. However, this is difficult to quantitatively capture during piloted aircraft flight. Computational models of human spatial orientation perception offer a means of studying the somatogravic illusion. OVERVIEW: Here, we applied a computational "observer" model to two inflight go-around scenarios in which the somatogravic illusion was thought to have potentially occurred. Specifically, the flight data recordings of the aircraft motion trajectories were processed to serve as inputs to the computational model. The model mimics the mechanisms which the brain is thought to use to perceive self-orientation. By inputting the aircraft motions which the pilots were exposed to, the models can provide a prediction of the pilots' perceptions of aircraft orientation and motion during the go-around maneuvers. Comparing the model predictions of pilot perception to actual aircraft orientation can help to quantitatively identify the occurrence of the somatogravic illusion. DISCUSSION: We aim to show the potential for applying a computational model to goaround flight maneuvers to better understand the somatogravic illusion. Comparing two flight scenarios will help identify commonalities which may occur leading to spatial disorientation during go-arounds. Studying previous flight scenarios, such as these, will help to elucidate potential means for preventing future spatial disorientation accidents. Learning Objectives 1. Describe the mathematical mechanisms involved in modeling human spatial orientation perception. 2. Understand the quantification of the somatogravic illusion in real flight data using computational modeling approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]