A false visual reference illusion occurs when a pilot orients an aircraft against a horizon that is not the true horizon. It can arise from flying over a cloud bank that is itself tilted relative to the true horizon, from night flying over featureless terrain where ground lights are indistinguishable from a dark, starry sky, or from night flying over featureless terrain with a clearly defined pattern of ground lights beneath a dark, starless sky, and in each case it can lead the pilot to misjudge the aircraft true attitude. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
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Type of Phenomenon Sources
1. Wikipedia: Sensory Illusions in Aviation
Visual, False visual reference sectionQuote, Visual, False visual reference section
False visual reference illusions may cause the pilot to orient the aircraft in relation to a false horizon; these illusions can be caused by flying over a banked cloud, night flying over featureless terrain with ground lights that are indistinguishable from a dark sky with stars, or night flying over a featureless terrain with a clearly defined pattern of ground lights and a dark, starless sky.
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