Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
True or False: SDO may rapidly transition from unnoticed to incapacitating. - CORRECT
ANSWER -T
SDO typically happens when an aviator cannot visually confirm orientation with what? -
CORRECT ANSWER - The horizon
True or False: fatigue may lead to SDO by causing routine tasks or scans to be skipped. -
CORRECT ANSWER -T
What is the average experience level for pilots involved in SDO-related accidents? - CORRECT
ANSWER - 10 years/ 1000hrs
What compensatory reflexive action typically happens to a pilots head in a banking turn? -
CORRECT ANSWER - Optokinetic cervical reflex
Which SDO illusion affects a pilots ability to focus their eyes after rolling out of an extended
turn? - CORRECT ANSWER - Oculogyric illusion
Which SDO illusion causes a pilot to feel as if the aircraft node suddenly pitched up during
acceleration in low-visibility conditions? - CORRECT ANSWER - Somatogravic illusion
Which SDO illusion causes a turning sensation following roll-out from an extended turn? -
CORRECT ANSWER - Somatogyric illusion
Which SDO illusion typically starts with a sub-threshold turn? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Graveyard spiral
, How long should one expect to fly straight and level for SDO symptoms to resolve? -
CORRECT ANSWER - 20-30 seconds
How much should pilots rely on vestibular and proprioceptive inputs during flight? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Not at all
Historically, what percentage of commercial incidents and accidents happen in the approach and
landing phase of flight? - CORRECT ANSWER - 50%
Visual illusions cause incidents and accidents for what reason? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Deviation from glide slope
What two physiological factors may help create approach and landing visual illusions? -
CORRECT ANSWER - Visual perspective and depth perception
What are the three major landing illusion components? - CORRECT ANSWER - Airport
Runway environment
Weather conditions
When a pilot looks at the ground, lack of what terrain feature may create difficulties for a pilot to
estimate altitude? - CORRECT ANSWER - Lack of texture
What about black hole approaches makes them create a visual illusion? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Lack of ambient visual cues along the approach path
What illusion does an upsloping runway create? - CORRECT ANSWER - Steep approach
What illusion does a narrower than normal runway create? - CORRECT ANSWER - High
and further away from the threshold