Instructor and student on INS cross-country training flight lose primary gyro vacuum source.

Attributes
ACN	160957
Time
Date	199010
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lan
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : v223
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 31 flight time total : 120 flight time type : 107
ASRS Report	160957
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

My instrument and I went up for my 250 mi INS x-county trip from lansing, mi to ind. The whole area was overcast with clouds from 4500-5700'. About 5 mins after passing through clouds and leveling off at 8000', the vacuum pump went out. The instrument noticed it first. This aircraft (an small aircraft) has standby engine vacuum installed for gyros, with placard to look in poh for instructions. The instrument looked for about 15 mins west/O finding it. Finally, he found about a 3 X 5' placard with instructions on it in glove box. By the time we reached ind, cloud cover was gone. Trip was otherwise uneventful. Instrument made a vow to stick instructions on INS panel upon return, but I talked him out of it, because the writing was extremely small, and couldn't be read from 2' away from pilot's seat to INS panel. After 26.5 hours of hood work, this was my first time in actual IMC, even though it was only a couple mins worth. So I am thankful it didn't go out on me while I was in the clouds! I had a hard enough time as it was! I wonder if my instrument would've picked it up soon enough if I'd gotten us into trouble.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT ON INS CROSS-COUNTRY TRAINING FLT LOSE PRIMARY GYRO VACUUM SOURCE.

Narrative: MY INSTR AND I WENT UP FOR MY 250 MI INS X-COUNTY TRIP FROM LANSING, MI TO IND. THE WHOLE AREA WAS OVCST WITH CLOUDS FROM 4500-5700'. ABOUT 5 MINS AFTER PASSING THROUGH CLOUDS AND LEVELING OFF AT 8000', THE VACUUM PUMP WENT OUT. THE INSTR NOTICED IT FIRST. THIS ACFT (AN SMA) HAS STANDBY ENG VACUUM INSTALLED FOR GYROS, WITH PLACARD TO LOOK IN POH FOR INSTRUCTIONS. THE INSTR LOOKED FOR ABOUT 15 MINS W/O FINDING IT. FINALLY, HE FOUND ABOUT A 3 X 5' PLACARD WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON IT IN GLOVE BOX. BY THE TIME WE REACHED IND, CLOUD COVER WAS GONE. TRIP WAS OTHERWISE UNEVENTFUL. INSTR MADE A VOW TO STICK INSTRUCTIONS ON INS PANEL UPON RETURN, BUT I TALKED HIM OUT OF IT, BECAUSE THE WRITING WAS EXTREMELY SMALL, AND COULDN'T BE READ FROM 2' AWAY FROM PLT'S SEAT TO INS PANEL. AFTER 26.5 HRS OF HOOD WORK, THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME IN ACTUAL IMC, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ONLY A COUPLE MINS WORTH. SO I AM THANKFUL IT DIDN'T GO OUT ON ME WHILE I WAS IN THE CLOUDS! I HAD A HARD ENOUGH TIME AS IT WAS! I WONDER IF MY INSTR WOULD'VE PICKED IT UP SOON ENOUGH IF I'D GOTTEN US INTO TROUBLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.