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In Head Trip, PopSci explores the relationship between our brains, our senses, and the strange things that happen in between.
USUALLY, pilots can navigate through cloudy and foggy conditions. They’re trained to do this. Substantially lowered visibility leaves them needing clarification and direction, and for that their instruments are essential. But in very rare cases, disagreement between their sensory experiences and reality can spell disaster.
Sometimes a pilot can sense that the plane is descending, but feel confused as to why. The instruments could also indicate that the plane is drifting left or right while the pilot’s senses are pulling them in a different direction, throwing their instincts into chaos and preventing them from correcting the flight’s orientation quickly enough. The plane is turning and heading downward and the pilot isn’t helping. They have entered a death spiral.
USUALLY, pilots can navigate through cloudy and foggy conditions. They’re trained to do this. Substantially lowered visibility leaves them needing clarification and direction, and for that their instruments are essential. But in very rare cases, disagreement between their sensory experiences and reality can spell disaster.
Sometimes a pilot can sense that the plane is descending, but feel confused as to why. The instruments could also indicate that the plane is drifting left or right while the pilot’s senses are pulling them in a different direction, throwing their instincts into chaos and preventing them from correcting the flight’s orientation quickly enough. The plane is turning and heading downward and the pilot isn’t helping. They have entered a death spiral.
How pilots end up in a ‘death spiral’
Posted from popsci.com
Aviation
Safety
Flying
Pilot
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 3
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This was very interesting. I love flying but don't have a lisence to expensive.
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Only read the introductory remarks since I didn't want to subscribe, but the problem is as old as flight. The fact that you must overcome the desire to allow your "seat of your pants" feelings to overcome your trust in your instruments was taught during ground school before you even strapped an aircraft on. I had a special instrument rating when I was active and flew many hours under severe weather conditions, developing trust in the instruments and the discipline to ignore your "senses" was one key to survival
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Lt Col Charlie Brown
You are so right...and if you allow your "gut" to rule, you can end up on the ground with an uncontrolled landing
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