Brownout (aeronautics)

A pilot not using the flight instruments for reference may instinctively try to level the aircraft with respect to the false horizon, resulting in an accident.

[12] Several coalition military aircraft were lost due to roll-overs while executing dust landings during the Gulf War period of 1990–91.

[15] Brownout accidents destroyed or severely damaged four AH-64D Apache Longbows in the first three weeks of the 2003 Iraq invasion, while only one had been lost in combat in the same time period.

The tandem seat Apache has a narrower stance than the UH-60 Black Hawk, making it more susceptible to rollover if the pilot begins to lose roll attitude control from the brownout.

The high proprotor disk loading creates a high-velocity downwash, which stirs up the dust cloud from a much higher altitude.

[20] Initial operational experience indicates that although the dust cloud is larger with the MV-22 than it is with the CH-46 it is replacing, pilots report regaining visibility near the ground, allowing them to use visual references prior to landing.