Temporary loss of aircraft control.

Attributes
ACN	167558
Time
Date	199101
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sli airport : ful
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2600 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sna
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 6 flight time total : 400 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	167558
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Climbing out of fullerton airport under ATC control. Given radar vectors to lax. Had expected sli but not a problem. Cleared to 3000', received clearance to climb to 3000' at about 2500' entered the clouds. Given a radar vector. Selected the autoplt. Had used it the previous day and it was holding to the right of the dg bug about 10 degrees. When switched on the plane went into a right bank. Adjusted the heading bug but adjusted the dg setting instead. The plane was continuing in a right bank and not following the heading assigned. The autoplt was holding the bank. I reached over, and looked at the autoplt to switch it off. I got disoriented. Noticed the attitude indicator was blank and the airspeed passing the 'do not exceed.' pulled back the throttle to control airspeed, the attitude indicator now indicated a right bank. I had lost altitude to about 25=600' (assigned 3000' and climbing to). Got the airplanes under control. Popped out above the clouds at 3500', new altitude was assigned to 4000'. Coast departure was asking what was wrong during the time plane was not under control. I reported disorientation. The rest of the flight went west/O incident. I controled very close to heading (5 degrees or less) and altitude (50' or less). When reaching my destination, smx santa maria, ca, I was on the back course of the localizer and descended into the clouds. Approach ordered me to do a 360 degree turn for spacing. Performed this and rolled out on the 300 degree heading with the VOR needle centered. Broke out of the clouds at about 1200' and saw the runway. Landed with no further problem. Autoplt failure. It had been repaired about 6-8 months previously.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TEMPORARY LOSS OF ACFT CONTROL.

Narrative: CLBING OUT OF FULLERTON ARPT UNDER ATC CTL. GIVEN RADAR VECTORS TO LAX. HAD EXPECTED SLI BUT NOT A PROB. CLRED TO 3000', RECEIVED CLRNC TO CLB TO 3000' AT ABOUT 2500' ENTERED THE CLOUDS. GIVEN A RADAR VECTOR. SELECTED THE AUTOPLT. HAD USED IT THE PREVIOUS DAY AND IT WAS HOLDING TO THE R OF THE DG BUG ABOUT 10 DEGS. WHEN SWITCHED ON THE PLANE WENT INTO A R BANK. ADJUSTED THE HDG BUG BUT ADJUSTED THE DG SETTING INSTEAD. THE PLANE WAS CONTINUING IN A R BANK AND NOT FOLLOWING THE HDG ASSIGNED. THE AUTOPLT WAS HOLDING THE BANK. I REACHED OVER, AND LOOKED AT THE AUTOPLT TO SWITCH IT OFF. I GOT DISORIENTED. NOTICED THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR WAS BLANK AND THE AIRSPD PASSING THE 'DO NOT EXCEED.' PULLED BACK THE THROTTLE TO CTL AIRSPD, THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR NOW INDICATED A R BANK. I HAD LOST ALT TO ABOUT 25=600' (ASSIGNED 3000' AND CLBING TO). GOT THE AIRPLANES UNDER CTL. POPPED OUT ABOVE THE CLOUDS AT 3500', NEW ALT WAS ASSIGNED TO 4000'. COAST DEP WAS ASKING WHAT WAS WRONG DURING THE TIME PLANE WAS NOT UNDER CTL. I RPTED DISORIENTATION. THE REST OF THE FLT WENT W/O INCIDENT. I CTLED VERY CLOSE TO HDG (5 DEGS OR LESS) AND ALT (50' OR LESS). WHEN REACHING MY DEST, SMX SANTA MARIA, CA, I WAS ON THE BACK COURSE OF THE LOC AND DSNDED INTO THE CLOUDS. APCH ORDERED ME TO DO A 360 DEG TURN FOR SPACING. PERFORMED THIS AND ROLLED OUT ON THE 300 DEG HDG WITH THE VOR NEEDLE CTRED. BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT ABOUT 1200' AND SAW THE RWY. LANDED WITH NO FURTHER PROB. AUTOPLT FAILURE. IT HAD BEEN REPAIRED ABOUT 6-8 MONTHS PREVIOUSLY.

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.