Atlas 3591 NTSB Animation released

[Kelvin]

I have and it scared the ever loving ***** out of me.
I was in a glass 182 taking off in low low conditions...the clouds were only 300 or so feet thick...clear for light years after that...

I pushed the throttle forward and rotated...as soon as I went into the clouds (30 to 40 ft AGL) it felt like I was flipping over backwards...I had a CFII that harped that this would happen and to be ready for it...the G1000 showed me at between 5 and 10 degrees nose up so I proceeded...I was shaking because I KNEW that I was in a jam...when I popped out on top...it took a few minutes for get my mind usable again.

VERY sobering.

The NTSB says this airplane crashed (RIP both pilots and passenger) because the FO succumbed to somatogravic illusion (SI).
You might think this won't happen to you because you are on the lookout for it, you trained for it, you are a better imc stick, you did better in flight testing, maybe you have better trained stereocilia and otoliths etc....but can you be sure?
Anyone have first hand experience with SI?
I think all of us can be taken by surprise by this, and other illusions.

 

[GRG55]

The NTSB says this airplane crashed (RIP both pilots and passenger) because the FO succumbed to somatogravic illusion (SI).
You might think this won't happen to you because you are on the lookout for it, you trained for it, you are a better imc stick, you did better in flight testing, maybe you have better trained stereocilia and otoliths etc....but can you be sure?
Anyone have first hand experience with SI?
I think all of us can be taken by surprise by this, and other illusions.

Never personally experienced it, but I am wary to try to avoid putting myself into a situation where it could occur.
A couple of instances come to mind.

I haven't followed any of the subsequent reports, but in the days immediately after the helicopter accident that took the life of Kobe Bryant the flight path (rapid pull up into the clouds followed by rapid descent into terrain) suggests somatogravic illusion may have played a role.

There is a well known Canadian Forces F-18 Hornet accident in May of 1986 off Summerside, PEI. The pilot was a former jet instructor, former Snowbird and was the Forces demonstration pilot that year. Following a washed out air show he did an afterburner take-off into a 300 ft ceiling, 4000 ft thick. Flew the airplane pushing nose down into the water at high speed 25 seconds later. The data recording system supported the conclusion he induced the classic inversion illusion.

Seems quite insidious. If it can happen to pilots with that much experience...

 

[hindsight2020]

Occam's Razor: "Hey man, a guy known and documented throughout training to startle easy and overcontrol in the most cursory of operations, validated said assessment with his own life and at the expense of two others."


The POA safety expert brigade: