In this article:
Pilot experiencing vertigo
Vertigo is a frequently encountered complaint among aviators: it refers to a false sense of motion or position.
Symptoms must be differentiated between those considered to be vertigo arising from diseases that are disqualifying for flying duties and symptoms resulting from contradictory but normal stimuli perceived by the normal brain in the performance of flying duties (“pilot’s vertigo”).
If vertigo occurs in flight, it may lead to sudden incapacitation, thus impairing a pilot and possibly resulting in an accident.
GCA
David Tussey, former US Navy A-7E Corsair II pilot, recalls on Quora;
‘It was in advanced Navy training in VT-24 flying the TA-4J. There was a flight on the curriculum called “the GCA hop” [A GCA is a ground-controlled approach performed with precision radar and flight path corrections provided by the ground controller]. You would typically fly 10-12 GCA approaches just remaining in the pattern. The GCA hop was always flown at night. Night time near Beeville, TX (NAS Chase Field) was very, very dark. This night it was overcast and especially dark.
‘After 8 or 9 approaches, my instructor (who I had never flown with previously) decided to give me a break and fly the next approach. He flew the approach fine, but when we executed the missed approach and did a climbing turn to reenter the pattern, something went wrong.
Scary situation
‘I watched from the backseat as the instructor pilot pulled the nose of the aircraft higher and higher, with the airspeed getting slower and slower while we were only about 1500′ above ground. I realized something was terribly wrong as we truly neared an unrecoverable situation. I yelled over the intercom somewhat frantically to the IP. I don’t remember what I said, but he said “are your instruments still working?” I said yes and took control of the aircraft, recovered from the near stall attitude, and proceeded to fly the rest of the approach to a full stop.’
Tussey concludes;
‘Scary and embarrassing situation to see an instructor experience such debilitating vertigo. I should have reported the incident to the squadron safety officer, but I was just too shocked and to near completion of training. But that was scary.’
Photo credit: Mike Freer – Touchdown-aviation via Wikipedia
