Tee Emm
15th Jun 2012, 10:49
The report is here: Investigation: AO-2011-017 - Collision with terrain - Cessna 310R, VH-XGX, near Bathurst Island Aerodrome, NT, 5 February 2011 (http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2011/aair/ao-2011-017.aspx)
The accident was put down to probable somatogravic illusion.
Sometimes these accidents are caused simply by poor instrument flying at the time of the accident. With hundreds of aircraft taking off at night all around Australia often on dark nights in the outback one questions why many pilots don't suffer from somatagravic illusions and crash. I feel the term is over-used when no other evidence is available. A pilot can fly quite competently in IMC most times but make a few seconds of critical error near the ground because of slow instrument scan at the time.
The accident was put down to probable somatogravic illusion.
Sometimes these accidents are caused simply by poor instrument flying at the time of the accident. With hundreds of aircraft taking off at night all around Australia often on dark nights in the outback one questions why many pilots don't suffer from somatagravic illusions and crash. I feel the term is over-used when no other evidence is available. A pilot can fly quite competently in IMC most times but make a few seconds of critical error near the ground because of slow instrument scan at the time.