Classification problems of U.S. Air Force spatial disorientation accidents, 1989-91.
Spatial disorientation (SD) continues to contribute to a fairly constant proportion of military aircraft accidents. The U.S. Air Force (USAF) fielded a new accident investigation reporting form in July 1989, which for the first time specified Type I SD, Type II SD, and Type III SD as possible causes of aircraft accidents. Of a total of 91 major accidents that occurred over the 2-year period beginning in October 1989, SD was rated as contributing significantly to 13 (14%). Coding for SD on accident investigation reporting forms was not consistent, however. Individual flight surgeons differed in their approaches to coding accidents as SD-related; other differences were noted between flight surgeons and pilots, and additional procedural differences resulted in inconsistent reporting over time. There is a consensus that SD represents a major problem in military aviation, but a scientific approach to this important problem would be facilitated if agreement could be reached on definitional and semantic issues.
Lyons
T J
TJ
Armstrong Laboratory Crew Systems Directorate, Brooks AFB, TX.
Ercoline
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WR
Freeman
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JE
Gillingham
K K
KK
D000060:Accidents, Aviation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000328:Adult; D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D009949:Orientation; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000145:classification; D013028:Space Perception; D014481:United States