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The great transatlantic race: physiologic and otoneurologic considerations
1Professor Emeritus, formerly Dept. ORL Head & Neck Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
The Journal of Laryngology and Otology
|March 25, 2025
Summary
Early aviation accidents were often due to technical issues, but human physiology, including fatigue and disorientation, also played a significant role. Understanding these factors is crucial for flight safety.
Area of Science:
- Aviation History
- Human Physiology
- Otoneurology
Background:
- Early 19th-century transatlantic flight competitions saw numerous accidents.
- Technical failures, weather, and navigation are commonly cited causes.
- The impact of human physiological factors on these accidents has been largely overlooked.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential physiological and otoneurological factors contributing to early aviation accidents.
- To highlight the underappreciated role of the human element in flight safety.
Main Methods:
- Review of historical aviation accident data.
- Analysis of potential physiological and otoneurological conditions affecting pilots.
Main Results:
- Extreme fatigue, hyperventilation, and airsickness were identified as potential contributors.
- Spatial disorientation resulted from vestibulo-visual conflicts and gravitational misinformation, especially in low visibility.
- Deafening engine noise may have induced vertigo, and latent inner ear issues could have caused dizziness.
Conclusions:
- Early aviation accidents were multifactorial, involving both technical and physiological elements.
- Human physiology was a significant, often unacknowledged, contributor to failures and accidents in early aviation.
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