When tunnel vision leads to a crash on a winter flight

In the winter of 2021, a pilot decided to take a sightseeing flight despite adverse weather conditions. After takeoff, the weather deteriorated rapidly. The pilot wanted to turn back and land at the destination airport. However, heavy snow was now falling there. Nevertheless, the pilot decided to attempt the landing. It was a fatal mistake. Instead of diverting to another airport (Plan B), he flew into the snow cloud and crashed.

Click here for the accident analysis on aerokurier.de: Errant flight in snow shower

Tunnel vision in aviation is a well-researched human performance and perception problem. In aviation, it refers to a stress-related narrowing of perception in which pilots focus their attention intensely on a single stimulus or a specific problem, while other important information is blocked out. This is not a visual impairment, but a natural reaction of the human body to stress, time pressure, or perceived danger. The activation of the sympathetic nervous system causes hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol to be released, which increases responsiveness in the short term but at the same time limits peripheral vision, cognitive flexibility, and fine motor skills. In such moments, the brain prioritizes simple survival mechanisms instead of a comprehensive analysis of the situation.

Examples:

• Fixation on one instrument → other displays are overlooked
• Concentration on a technical problem → flight attitude or altitude are neglected
• Fixation on the runway → obstacles, wind, or speed are ignored

Tunnel vision occurs particularly frequently in difficult weather conditions. Situations such as heavy snowfall during landing, reduced visibility, diffuse contours of the runway, or changing wind conditions significantly increase mental pressure. Pilots can become fixated on identifying the runway or the touchdown point and neglect other crucial parameters such as speed, sink rate, or crosswind correction. Icing conditions, where there is a risk of ice forming on the wings or control surfaces, are similarly critical. Concentration is then often focused exclusively on the ice problem or individual instrument displays, while flight performance, situational awareness, or evasive options are given too little attention.

Psychologically, tunnel vision is exacerbated by high workloads, uncertainty, and emotional tension. Additional weather-related tasks—such as de-icing decisions, performance calculations, alternative airports, or go-around considerations—can lead to overload. In such situations, there is a risk that warning signals will be recognized too late or that known procedures will not be applied consistently. This can result in a gradual loss of situational awareness and lead to incorrect or delayed decisions.

In aviation safety, tunnel vision is therefore considered a key human factor that can occur regardless of experience, especially in challenging weather conditions. It is not an individual failure, but a predictable reaction under stress. Training and education are crucial to counteract this. Human factors training, standardized procedures, conscious instrument and external scanning, and crew resource management help to maintain broad awareness. Mental guiding principles such as “Aviate – Navigate – Communicate” help to set the right priorities and maintain flight safety, even in difficult weather conditions.

Safety first, every flight, every time.