Orientation and disorientation in aviation

Table 1 Spatial disorientation in military aircraft accidents from 1983–2002

Accident rates per 100,000 flying hours
Aircraft	Accident	1983–1992	1993–2002	Reference
Fast jet	All accidents	7.0	5.8
Fast jet	Disorientation- related accidents	1.7 (24.2%)	1.6 (28.2%)
Rotary wing	All accidents	4.1	2.4	[14] Bushby
Rotary wing	Disorientation-related accidents	1.0 (24.3%)	1.0 (42.2%)	[14] Bushby

Military accident rates per 100,000 flying hours for all accidents and for those in which spatial disorientation was a factor. Comparison of the two 10-year periods, 1983–1992 and 1993–2002, shows a fall in overall accident rate, more evident for rotary-wing than for fixed-wing aircraft, but there was no decrease in the incidence of disorientation-related accidents. For comparison, the accident rate for scheduled commercial aircraft with a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) greater than 2,500 kg is 0.4 per 100,000 departures [15].

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