| Research has attempted to identify which visual cues are most salient for glide path (GP) performance during an approach to landing by a pilot flying in both rich and impoverished visual conditions. Numerous aviation accidents have occurred when a shallow GP was induced by a black hole illusion (BHI) or featureless terrain environment during night visual approaches to landing. Identifying the landing surface's orientation as well as size, distance, and depth cues are critical for a safe approach to landing. Twenty pilots accomplished simulated approaches while exposed to manipulated visual cues of horizon, runway length/width (ratio), random terrain objects, and approach lighting system (ALS) configurations. Participants were assessed on their performance relative to a 3 degree GP in terms of precision, bias, and stability in both degrees and altitude deviation over a distance of 5 nm (9.3 km) assessed at equal intervals to landing. Runway ratio and distance from the runway were the most dominant aspects of the visual scene that differentiated pilot performance and mediated other visual cues. The horizon was most influential for the first two-thirds of the approach and random terrain objects influenced the final portion. An ALS commonly used at airports today, mediated by a high runway ratio, induced shallow GPs; however, the worst GP performance regardless of ratio, was a combination ALS consisting of both side and approach lights. Pilot performance suggested a three-phase perceptual process, Assess-Act-React, used by pilots as they accumulated visual cues to guide their behavior. Perceptual learning demonstrated that despite recognition of the BH approach, pilots confidently flew dangerously low but did improve with practice implying that visual spatial disorientation education and training would be effective if accomplished in flight simulators. |
