Spatial disorientation
Spatial disorientation means not knowing your position because of low visibility or dark surroundings (for example fog and smoke).
In aviation, spatial disorientation can lead to the pilots not flying at the correct altitude. If the crew does not fix the problem in time, it can lead to a crash. There is a term used in aviation for this known as Vertigo.
Examples of plane crashes involving spatial disorientation
- USAir flight 1016
- Aeroperu flight 603
- Adam Air flight 574
- Atlas Air flight 3591
- FlyDubai flight 981
- Flash Airlines flight 604
- Gulf Air flight 072
- Crossair flight 498
- Kenya Airways flight 507
- Aeroflot flight 821
- Air France flight 447
- Copa Airlines flight 201
- Air India flight 855
- Eastern Air Lines flight 401
- Colgan Air flight 3407
- Polish Airforce flight 101
- Air China flight 129
- AirAsia flight 8501
- Crossair flight 3597
- Birgenair flight 301
- Thai Airways International flight 311
- Pan Am flight 806