Somatogravic illusion (SGI) is a stealthy killer. It reveals itself in seemingly unrelated ways and can sneak up and kill you before you know what happened.
Here are some different accident types in which SGI apparently reared its ugly head:
How Somatogravic Illusion Kills Pilots
Deadly deception reveals itself in seemingly unrelated ways and can sneak up before you know what happened.
Key Takeaways:
- Somatogravic illusion (SGI) is a dangerous sensory illusion caused by forward acceleration, leading pilots to falsely perceive a nose-up pitch and inadvertently push the aircraft into a descent or terrain.
- It commonly occurs during takeoffs in dark night or low-visibility conditions lacking visual references, and during the acceleration phase of a missed approach.
- The illusion stems from the inner ear's utricle, which incorrectly interprets forward acceleration as a backward head tilt, creating a powerful but false sensation of pitching up.
- To avoid SGI, pilots must ignore misleading physical sensations and "trust their instruments," actively monitoring pitch, vertical speed, and airspeed to ensure a correct climb.
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