Which optical phenomenon can affect pilots' perception of runway height?

The phenomenon that significantly affects pilots' perception of runway height is illusory depth perception. When pilots approach to land, their brains interpret visual cues in ways that can sometimes be misleading. This can lead to misjudgments about how high the aircraft is above the runway, particularly during landings.

Illusory depth perception is influenced by factors such as the surrounding terrain, lighting conditions, and the angle of the approach. For example, if a runway is surrounded by features that create a contrasting visual context, a pilot may perceive the runway as being closer or farther than it actually is. This misinterpretation can result in incorrect altitude estimations, thereby affecting landing safety.

In contrast, other phenomena such as inverted horizon illusion, runway perspective distortion, and weather-related visual shifts focus on different aspects of visual perception but do not specifically address the effects on perceived runway height as clearly as illusory depth perception does. Each of these other phenomena may contribute to broader visual misjudgments, but they do not directly highlight how a pilot may misjudge height above the runway during a landing approach.