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Pete Brady is the Acting Director for the Air Traffic Safety Standards Oversight Division (AOV-100). The division leads policy oversight of the Air Traffic Organization’s (ATO) safety standards by reviewing and approving national changes to policy standards, ATO’s Safety Management System (SMS) aligned with the...
FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
Report No: DOT/FAA/AM- 25/14
Title and Subtitle: Spatial Disorientation in Fatal General Aviation Accidents (2003 – 2021)
Report Date: 3/3/25
Authors: Hannah M. Baumgartner, Jason Sigmon, Austin Ciesielski, Russell Lewis
Abstract: The incidence of spatial disorientation (SD) during flight poses a distinct threat in general aviation (GA) due to the high fatality risk associated with its occurrence. While historical analyses have examined the incidence of SD in GA accidents, little current research exists. This research examines fatal GA accidents associated with SD from 2003 to 2021 and investigates the pilot demographics, flight characteristics, and environment conditions associated with these accidents to identify potential risk factors and compares these findings with previous historical analyses. Overall, 367fatal accident reports from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that were GA associated with SD we reanalyzed. These accidents showed a strong correlation to pilots with less than 500 hours of flight experience. Additionally, instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) were likely to involve flights into IMC despite intentions to fly using visual flight rules (VFR). While the number of fatal SD GA accidents has decreased in comparison to previous analyses, the fatality rate associated with SD is still high (94%) and involves high fatality numbers for pilots, passengers, and even ground bystanders. Further, the number of fatal SD GA accidents associated with positive toxicology findings has increased over time, particularly for drugs that pose potentially impairing effects. This research highlights the necessity for continued education and awareness efforts for SD within GA.
Key Words: Spatial disorientation, general aviation, accident analysis, situation awareness, toxicology
No. of Pages: 13
Organs and biological material (e.g., bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cells) are transported via commercial airline virtually every day. Recent changes in organ allocation and distribution policies result in broader geographic sharing of donor organs, which means a higher percentage of organs will be transported over longer distances.
The May/June 2025 issue of FAA Safety Briefing magazine focuses on the variety of tools and technology pilots use to safely avoid and mitigate risk during flight. Feature articles cover some of the FAA’s latest weather research work and programs and provide...
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are revolutionizing wildfire response, providing real-time situational awareness, hotspot detection, and safer operations in high-risk environments. The FAA, in collaboration with the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), the U.S...
The FAA is responsible for the licensing and safety oversight of commercial space launch and reentry operations, including their safe and efficient integration into the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS). The FAA ensures the protection of the public on aircraft, on land and on maritime vessels during space launch and reentry operations.