What is a common outcome of the black hole illusion during landing?

The black hole illusion during landing is a visual phenomenon that can occur when a pilot approaches a runway that lacks visual references, such as in a nighttime landing over water or unlit terrain. In this scenario, the pilot may perceive the approach to be higher than it truly is because there are no grounding visual cues to provide a frame of reference.

This misperception often leads pilots to misinterpret their altitude and consequently result in a lower than normal descent rate. Without the usual visual indicators, the uncertain environment can trick the pilot into thinking they have a higher altitude than they actually do, causing them to approach the runway with a more shallow descent. Consequently, this can lead to a potential for a dangerous landing if corrective action is not taken in time.

The other outcomes related to this illusion, such as misjudgment of speed, underestimating runway length, or confusion caused by ground lights, do not directly convey the specific perception issue that arises due to the absence of effective visual references, hence less relevant to the black hole illusion's most common effect during landing.