FAA Commercial Pilot Airplane (CAX)Human Factors and ADMMedium
A pilot is conducting a visual approach at night to a runway surrounded by dark, featureless terrain with no lights between the airplane and the runway. Without instrument cross-checks, this situation is most likely to cause the pilot to:
- AFly a lower-than-normal approach and land short
- BPerceive the runway lights as rotating beacon signals
- CFly a higher-than-normal approach and land long
- DOverestimate airspeed and abort the landing early
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Fly a lower-than-normal approach and land short
This describes the 'black hole approach' illusion, in which the absence of surrounding visual references causes pilots to perceive themselves higher than they actually are, leading them to fly a dangerously low, unstable approach and often land short or strike terrain short of the runway.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Runway lights are not misperceived as beacons in this illusion.
- C. The black hole illusion causes the opposite effect—an unsafe low approach, not a high one.
- D. This illusion affects perceived height and glidepath, not airspeed perception directly.
Black Hole Approach Illusion
A visual illusion during night approach over dark, featureless terrain causing pilots to believe they are higher than actual altitude, leading to a dangerously low approach.
- Occurs when runway lights are the only visual reference at night
- Leads to flying below the correct glidepath
- Mitigated by using VASI/PAPI and instrument references
Memory trick: No lights around, you sink to the ground