Narrative:

I had just departed the toms river new jersey airport and contacted mcguire approach to receive my clearance, I had to circle to remain in mcguires airspace until they finally got the clearance I read it back and started to climb and was handed off to washington, I was climbing to 8000 MSL and went IMC about 5000 ft. While still climbing to altitude washington came back and told me to fly direct to the westminster VORTAC, my flight plan did not specifically list westminster VORTAC so I hunted on the low altitude en route chart to find where it was on my route I apparently allowed the aircraft to roll too far into a bank and immediately found myself upside down going into a spin, I recovered as washington asked about my altitude, I was now VFR and they asked if I wished to cancel IFR due to what happened, I told them yes. Until I regained my bearings and then contacted baltimore approach and refiled IFR in the air and continued my flight plan. I feel the contributing factors were my lack of flight in actual IMC and due to the fact that I was a single pilot IFR, more consideration should be given as to not give a single pilot IFR changes he is not expecting and differ from what was originally filed and readback in the clearance.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PF SMA SINGLE PLT IFR IN CLOUDS STALLS SPINS ACFT DUE TO VERTIGO AND DISORIENTATION WHEN HE IS DISTRACTED BY HAVING TO LOOK AT NAV CHART.

Narrative: I HAD JUST DEPARTED THE TOMS RIVER NEW JERSEY ARPT AND CONTACTED MCGUIRE APCH TO RECEIVE MY CLRNC, I HAD TO CIRCLE TO REMAIN IN MCGUIRES AIRSPACE UNTIL THEY FINALLY GOT THE CLRNC I READ IT BACK AND STARTED TO CLB AND WAS HANDED OFF TO WASHINGTON, I WAS CLBING TO 8000 MSL AND WENT IMC ABOUT 5000 FT. WHILE STILL CLBING TO ALT WASHINGTON CAME BACK AND TOLD ME TO FLY DIRECT TO THE WESTMINSTER VORTAC, MY FLT PLAN DID NOT SPECIFICALLY LIST WESTMINSTER VORTAC SO I HUNTED ON THE LOW ALT ENRTE CHART TO FIND WHERE IT WAS ON MY RTE I APPARENTLY ALLOWED THE ACFT TO ROLL TOO FAR INTO A BANK AND IMMEDIATELY FOUND MYSELF UPSIDE DOWN GOING INTO A SPIN, I RECOVERED AS WASHINGTON ASKED ABOUT MY ALT, I WAS NOW VFR AND THEY ASKED IF I WISHED TO CANCEL IFR DUE TO WHAT HAPPENED, I TOLD THEM YES. UNTIL I REGAINED MY BEARINGS AND THEN CONTACTED BALTIMORE APCH AND REFILED IFR IN THE AIR AND CONTINUED MY FLT PLAN. I FEEL THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE MY LACK OF FLT IN ACTUAL IMC AND DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WAS A SINGLE PLT IFR, MORE CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN AS TO NOT GIVE A SINGLE PLT IFR CHANGES HE IS NOT EXPECTING AND DIFFER FROM WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY FILED AND READBACK IN THE CLRNC.

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.