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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Private instrument rated pilot of a small aircraft sel lost control of aircraft during IMC and climbed 500 ft above assigned altitude before regaining aircraft control and returning to assigned altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 301673 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199504 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dxr |
| State Reference | CT |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cheetah, Tiger, Traveler |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : n90 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 9 flight time total : 440 flight time type : 25 |
| ASRS Report | 301673 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : departure |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was on an IFR flight plan from danbury, ct (dxr) to trenton, nj (ttn). I departed dxr at approximately XA15 on apr/xx/95 with an initial clearance to 3000 ft expecting 8000 ft in 5 mins. Upon radar contact I was cleared to 4000 ft. A few mins later I received an amended clearance to 6000 ft. Approach control came back with another amended clearance to level off at 5000 ft. They had been receiving PIREPS of rime icing in the clouds at 6000 ft. As I began to level off and re-trim the airplane, approach asked me my outside air temperature (OAT). The OAT gauge in the american general tiger is a small gauge below a series of toggle switches. As I looked over, which required me to turn and lower my head, I was caught in a sudden, unexpected updraft, which caused a gain in altitude of 400-500 ft. I busted my clearance. I immediately started down, re-established 5000 ft and the flight continued uneventfully. In the single pilot IFR while hand flying an airplane in the clouds, do not let insignificant requests from ATC or other distrs take you away from your primary responsibility of flying the airplane and keeping up your instrument scan. The updraft caused the plane to ascend, but my head movement caused a momentary spatial disorientation. The resulting vertigo caused me to lose control of the airplane.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PVT INST RATED PLT OF A SMA SEL LOST CTL OF ACFT DURING IMC AND CLBED 500 FT ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT BEFORE REGAINING ACFT CTL AND RETURNING TO ASSIGNED ALT.
Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM DANBURY, CT (DXR) TO TRENTON, NJ (TTN). I DEPARTED DXR AT APPROX XA15 ON APR/XX/95 WITH AN INITIAL CLRNC TO 3000 FT EXPECTING 8000 FT IN 5 MINS. UPON RADAR CONTACT I WAS CLRED TO 4000 FT. A FEW MINS LATER I RECEIVED AN AMENDED CLRNC TO 6000 FT. APCH CTL CAME BACK WITH ANOTHER AMENDED CLRNC TO LEVEL OFF AT 5000 FT. THEY HAD BEEN RECEIVING PIREPS OF RIME ICING IN THE CLOUDS AT 6000 FT. AS I BEGAN TO LEVEL OFF AND RE-TRIM THE AIRPLANE, APCH ASKED ME MY OUTSIDE AIR TEMP (OAT). THE OAT GAUGE IN THE AMERICAN GENERAL TIGER IS A SMALL GAUGE BELOW A SERIES OF TOGGLE SWITCHES. AS I LOOKED OVER, WHICH REQUIRED ME TO TURN AND LOWER MY HEAD, I WAS CAUGHT IN A SUDDEN, UNEXPECTED UPDRAFT, WHICH CAUSED A GAIN IN ALT OF 400-500 FT. I BUSTED MY CLRNC. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED DOWN, RE-ESTABLISHED 5000 FT AND THE FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY. IN THE SINGLE PLT IFR WHILE HAND FLYING AN AIRPLANE IN THE CLOUDS, DO NOT LET INSIGNIFICANT REQUESTS FROM ATC OR OTHER DISTRS TAKE YOU AWAY FROM YOUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY OF FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND KEEPING UP YOUR INST SCAN. THE UPDRAFT CAUSED THE PLANE TO ASCEND, BUT MY HEAD MOVEMENT CAUSED A MOMENTARY SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. THE RESULTING VERTIGO CAUSED ME TO LOSE CTL OF THE AIRPLANE.
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.