Atlas Air 3591 involved which combination of factors?

• A. Normal operations
• B. Weather avoidance
• C. Safe landing
• D. Unintended go-around mode, poor response, somatogravic illusion, and loss of control into Trinity Bay

Answer: (D)

This item shows how several factors can line up to produce a loss of control, especially during a high-workload, low-altitude moment like a go-around or departure. The combination involved an unintended activation of the go-around mode, the crew’s inadequate or mismanaged response to that command, a somatogravic illusion affecting perception of attitude during acceleration, and the aircraft ultimately entering a loss-of-control scenario that ended in Trinity Bay.

Unintended go-around mode means the aircraft’s automation initiated a go-around, commanding a pitch-up and a change in thrust/flight path when not being properly prepared for such a maneuver. If this happens close to the ground, there isn’t time to fully configure the airplane and regain situational awareness.

Poor response refers to the crew not managing the situation effectively—not properly monitoring airspeed, attitude, or energy state, and not executing the necessary checklist or configuration changes to safely complete the go-around. In high-stress moments, timely, correct actions are crucial, and hesitation or incorrect inputs can quickly escalate risk.

Somatogravic illusion is a vestibular perception that can occur during rapid acceleration or pitch changes, leading pilots to misjudge the aircraft’s actual attitude. This illusion can cause them to apply the wrong control inputs, compounding the difficulty of restoring a safe flight path.

All of these elements together culminated in a loss of control that carried the airplane into Trinity Bay, illustrating how automation decisions, human response, and perceptual factors can combine to produce a severe outcome.