Disorientation phenomena in naval helicopter pilots.
The incidence of pilot disorientation in fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft has been previously investigated, but special orientation problems of naval helicopter pilots engaged in operations at sea and landing on moving platforms have not been previously investigated. A questionnaire concerning disorientations was answered anonymously and individually by 104 active naval helicopter pilots. Fifty-six percent indicated one or more espisodes of severe disorientation, and 8.6% indicated having experienced severe disorientation five or more times while piloting helicopters. A number of factors conducive to disorientation were identified. Some precipitating factors appear to be specific to operations over water or over a moving deck, although some of these may well have their counterparts in special operations over land. Other factors are common to fixed-wing as well as rotary-wing aircraft. A number of potential countermeasures for various precipitating factors are discussed.
D000060:Accidents, Aviation / Q000517:prevention & control; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D000401:Aircraft / Q000592:standards; D003463:Cues; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007088:Illusions; D009326:Naval Medicine; D009949:Orientation; D011434:Proprioception; D013026:Space Flight; D013028:Space Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States; D014732:Vibration; D014796:Visual Perception