What is the graveyard spiral in pilot perception?

• A. A weather phenomenon causing wind shear
• B. An illusion of level flight during a banked turn
• C. An illusion of the cessation of a turn while still in a prolonged, coordinated, constant rate turn
• D. A stall during a rapid pull-up

Answer: (C)

Graveyard spiral is an illusion that occurs during a prolonged, coordinated turn where the pilot’s sense of motion misleads them into believing they are in level, straight flight. In this situation the airplane is still banked and turning, but the vestibular system often stops signaling a turn, so the pilot thinks they’ve ceased turning. Because the pilot perceives level flight, they may reduce back pressure, causing the nose to drop and the aircraft to lose altitude. Meanwhile the turn continues, so the aircraft descends along a tightening spiral. If uncorrected, this combination of continued turning and increasing descent can be dangerous.

This is why the described scenario—an illusion of the cessation of a turn while still in a prolonged, coordinated, constant-rate turn—is the best match. The other options describe different phenomena or outcomes that don’t capture the specific perceptual illusion and its spiral descent.