Loss of aircraft control.

Attributes
ACN	203961
Time
Date	199203
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mht
State Reference	NH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 900 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mht
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 350 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	203961
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : regained aircraft control other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

1) problem arose through inattn to instruments during climb in IMC. 2) contributing factors included several calls from ATC for information on cloud bases, confirmation of altitude of cloud base, squawk code and revision of assigned altitude. 3) numbers 1) and 2) caused airplane to bank left and descend sharply. Artificial horizon 'hung up' and no longer indicated actual attitude. This was disorienting and control was temporarily lost while pilot struggled to interpret rapidly changing altimeter, vsi, airspeed and turn and bank indicator. Several gyrations of the aircraft occurred until airplane broke out of clouds and ground reference became available. Once out of clouds, I returned VFR to mht airport. 4) once gyros were 'tumbled' all sense of attitude and direction were lost. Rapid movement of remaining instruments was initially confusing. 5) initial panic probably caused over-control and over-reaction to uncertain attitude. This may have worsened the situation initially. As understanding of the situation improved, control and stability improved. Seeing the ground, faintly through the cloud bases, gave sufficient reference and confidence to regain full control. 6) ATC was helpful/patient once they knew I had a problem. My primary mistake was losing my instrument scan and not being aware that I had done so until my attitude and direction instruments were tumbled, and/or hung-up. 7) I have scheduled my artificial horizon for re-build/replacement this month. I believe that control could have been maintained had this instrument not hung-up.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOSS OF ACFT CTL.

Narrative: 1) PROBLEM AROSE THROUGH INATTN TO INSTS DURING CLB IN IMC. 2) CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDED SEVERAL CALLS FROM ATC FOR INFO ON CLOUD BASES, CONFIRMATION OF ALT OF CLOUD BASE, SQUAWK CODE AND REVISION OF ASSIGNED ALT. 3) NUMBERS 1) AND 2) CAUSED AIRPLANE TO BANK L AND DSND SHARPLY. ARTIFICIAL HORIZON 'HUNG UP' AND NO LONGER INDICATED ACTUAL ATTITUDE. THIS WAS DISORIENTING AND CTL WAS TEMPORARILY LOST WHILE PLT STRUGGLED TO INTERPRET RAPIDLY CHANGING ALTIMETER, VSI, AIRSPD AND TURN AND BANK INDICATOR. SEVERAL GYRATIONS OF THE ACFT OCCURRED UNTIL AIRPLANE BROKE OUT OF CLOUDS AND GND REF BECAME AVAILABLE. ONCE OUT OF CLOUDS, I RETURNED VFR TO MHT ARPT. 4) ONCE GYROS WERE 'TUMBLED' ALL SENSE OF ATTITUDE AND DIRECTION WERE LOST. RAPID MOVEMENT OF REMAINING INSTS WAS INITIALLY CONFUSING. 5) INITIAL PANIC PROBABLY CAUSED OVER-CTL AND OVER-REACTION TO UNCERTAIN ATTITUDE. THIS MAY HAVE WORSENED THE SITUATION INITIALLY. AS UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATION IMPROVED, CTL AND STABILITY IMPROVED. SEEING THE GND, FAINTLY THROUGH THE CLOUD BASES, GAVE SUFFICIENT REF AND CONFIDENCE TO REGAIN FULL CTL. 6) ATC WAS HELPFUL/PATIENT ONCE THEY KNEW I HAD A PROBLEM. MY PRIMARY MISTAKE WAS LOSING MY INST SCAN AND NOT BEING AWARE THAT I HAD DONE SO UNTIL MY ATTITUDE AND DIRECTION INSTS WERE TUMBLED, AND/OR HUNG-UP. 7) I HAVE SCHEDULED MY ARTIFICIAL HORIZON FOR RE-BUILD/REPLACEMENT THIS MONTH. I BELIEVE THAT CTL COULD HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED HAD THIS INST NOT HUNG-UP.

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.