Plain English Meaning

Tricks your eyes play on you in flight. Things you see -- a sloping runway, a black hole at night, a wet surface -- can make you think you are higher, lower, closer, or further away than you really are.

Full Definition

In aviation, visual misperceptions caused by terrain features, runway dimensions, lighting conditions, weather, or atmospheric effects that lead a pilot to misjudge altitude, distance, attitude, or approach angle, particularly during landing.

Context Anchor

Encountered most often during approach and landing, especially at night, over featureless terrain, or when the runway looks different from what is used to.