Narrative:

I have temporarily 'invalidated' my medical until fully recovered from an automatic accident july/xx/94. To keep up my skills I invite pilots familiar with my aircraft to fly as PIC and, for those who are CFI's, to provide me with dual instruction so that I can keep up my skills. The PF during this incident was clearly told that he was PIC and that I would follow any directions issued by him, including turning over the yoke. This pilot has many hours in my aircraft and I carry him as a normal pilot on my aircraft insurance. He has, I believe, about 1000 hours and is a cfii and asmel. We both agree that my flying skills are back to normal but since I have not yet been cleared by an AME, I make every effort to avoid acting or thinking as a PIC (admittedly not an easy task). We were being vectored (in IMC) for ILS runway 36 msn after completing a VOR runway 31 msn. I was observing and writing down ATC requests as back up for the PF. ATC gave us a change of heading, PF complied and reset heading bug, ATC gave us another heading and a climb to 4000 ft (we have controllers in training at msn so we exchanged a remark about the climb request). Both of us noticed the 'vac failed' light almost at the same time and without thinking I keyed my microphone and declared 'vac pump failure.' PF called out 'pump 4.0,' I called out 'no tumble, heading off by 30 left.' PF reset heading, I flipped on my independent electrical vacuum pump, a supervisor came on and I verified the pump failure as I began to fly partial pannel (I was in the left seat and I needed to correct a beginning wing low, nose down condition). The pump pressure normalized, I reset heading indicator, established straight and level and that the altitude indicator was fully operational and requested a long turn on the ILS runway 6 to verify our instruments and shoot the approach. About this time I realized I was in my 'usual' take charge mode and turned the aircraft back to the other pilot who pronounced this a dual instruction and had me fly it to a landing (we broke out about 500 ft AGL and conducted the approach and landing with 1 incident). I was very impressed with how hard (and maybe, in this case, it could have even been unwise) it is to give another pilot control of your own aircraft (or maybe any aircraft) in an emergency (or possibly emergency) when you are aware that your own knowledge and skills are needed to assure a safe outcome. When we debriefed ourselves, the other pilot (who has been in 1 other emergency situation with me that turned out well based mainly on my wider experience) agreed that he was delighted I took it over and that from the right seat he had not gave to partial panel in timely fashion. This is a problem area for pilots flying together that I thought could handle by declaring myself non PIC - it did not work. Yet the result was 'good.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VAC PUMP FAILURE GYROSCOPE FLT INST TEMPORARILY UNRELIABLE IN IMC. NON CURRENT FAA MEDICAL.

Narrative: I HAVE TEMPORARILY 'INVALIDATED' MY MEDICAL UNTIL FULLY RECOVERED FROM AN AUTO ACCIDENT JULY/XX/94. TO KEEP UP MY SKILLS I INVITE PLTS FAMILIAR WITH MY ACFT TO FLY AS PIC AND, FOR THOSE WHO ARE CFI'S, TO PROVIDE ME WITH DUAL INSTRUCTION SO THAT I CAN KEEP UP MY SKILLS. THE PF DURING THIS INCIDENT WAS CLRLY TOLD THAT HE WAS PIC AND THAT I WOULD FOLLOW ANY DIRECTIONS ISSUED BY HIM, INCLUDING TURNING OVER THE YOKE. THIS PLT HAS MANY HRS IN MY ACFT AND I CARRY HIM AS A NORMAL PLT ON MY ACFT INSURANCE. HE HAS, I BELIEVE, ABOUT 1000 HRS AND IS A CFII AND ASMEL. WE BOTH AGREE THAT MY FLYING SKILLS ARE BACK TO NORMAL BUT SINCE I HAVE NOT YET BEEN CLRED BY AN AME, I MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO AVOID ACTING OR THINKING AS A PIC (ADMITTEDLY NOT AN EASY TASK). WE WERE BEING VECTORED (IN IMC) FOR ILS RWY 36 MSN AFTER COMPLETING A VOR RWY 31 MSN. I WAS OBSERVING AND WRITING DOWN ATC REQUESTS AS BACK UP FOR THE PF. ATC GAVE US A CHANGE OF HDG, PF COMPLIED AND RESET HDG BUG, ATC GAVE US ANOTHER HDG AND A CLB TO 4000 FT (WE HAVE CTLRS IN TRAINING AT MSN SO WE EXCHANGED A REMARK ABOUT THE CLB REQUEST). BOTH OF US NOTICED THE 'VAC FAILED' LIGHT ALMOST AT THE SAME TIME AND WITHOUT THINKING I KEYED MY MIKE AND DECLARED 'VAC PUMP FAILURE.' PF CALLED OUT 'PUMP 4.0,' I CALLED OUT 'NO TUMBLE, HDG OFF BY 30 L.' PF RESET HDG, I FLIPPED ON MY INDEPENDENT ELECTRICAL VACUUM PUMP, A SUPVR CAME ON AND I VERIFIED THE PUMP FAILURE AS I BEGAN TO FLY PARTIAL PANNEL (I WAS IN THE L SEAT AND I NEEDED TO CORRECT A BEGINNING WING LOW, NOSE DOWN CONDITION). THE PUMP PRESSURE NORMALIZED, I RESET HDG INDICATOR, ESTABLISHED STRAIGHT AND LEVEL AND THAT THE ALT INDICATOR WAS FULLY OPERATIONAL AND REQUESTED A LONG TURN ON THE ILS RWY 6 TO VERIFY OUR INSTS AND SHOOT THE APCH. ABOUT THIS TIME I REALIZED I WAS IN MY 'USUAL' TAKE CHARGE MODE AND TURNED THE ACFT BACK TO THE OTHER PLT WHO PRONOUNCED THIS A DUAL INSTRUCTION AND HAD ME FLY IT TO A LNDG (WE BROKE OUT ABOUT 500 FT AGL AND CONDUCTED THE APCH AND LNDG WITH 1 INCIDENT). I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH HOW HARD (AND MAYBE, IN THIS CASE, IT COULD HAVE EVEN BEEN UNWISE) IT IS TO GIVE ANOTHER PLT CTL OF YOUR OWN ACFT (OR MAYBE ANY ACFT) IN AN EMER (OR POSSIBLY EMER) WHEN YOU ARE AWARE THAT YOUR OWN KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS ARE NEEDED TO ASSURE A SAFE OUTCOME. WHEN WE DEBRIEFED OURSELVES, THE OTHER PLT (WHO HAS BEEN IN 1 OTHER EMER SIT WITH ME THAT TURNED OUT WELL BASED MAINLY ON MY WIDER EXPERIENCE) AGREED THAT HE WAS DELIGHTED I TOOK IT OVER AND THAT FROM THE R SEAT HE HAD NOT GAVE TO PARTIAL PANEL IN TIMELY FASHION. THIS IS A PROB AREA FOR PLTS FLYING TOGETHER THAT I THOUGHT COULD HANDLE BY DECLARING MYSELF NON PIC - IT DID NOT WORK. YET THE RESULT WAS 'GOOD.'

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.