Narrative:

I was on a heading of 110 degrees climbing to the blockhouse practice area (on an el toro departure from sna) with a student. At 4000 ft radio communication failed and also the directional gyro and attitude indicator failed. I checked the radio, communication panel and fuses but could not re-establish 2-WAY radio communication. I squawked 7600 and pushed identify. After that, I reversed course to a heading of 290 degrees to go back to sna. Due to mist, haze, smoke, and clouds, I couldn't go wbound (to the coast) or eastbound. To compound the problem, I am somewhat unfamiliar with the area. I passed el toro west of the airport so I turned to 270 degrees to return to sna. At the same time, the student didn't realize the importance of the situation and persistently tried to control the airplane even though I briefed him on the ground concerning sits like this. The student persisted in interfering with control which caused me to be distraction from observing the airport. I passed it on the east side. So I turned back again to find the airport. When I found it, I was looking for the light gun signals and rocked the wings, then I decided to descend and land. I had a hard time to see other traffic due to bad visibility. In retrospect, I learned that next time I would place more emphasis on positional awareness, collision avoidance and avoid flts into marginal VFR when not familiar with the area.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ACFT ON TRAINING FLT HAD COM, DIRECTIONAL GYRO (ATTITUDE INDICATOR) FAILURE. INSTRUCTOR PLT HAD DIFFICULTY FINDING HIS ARPT DUE TO MIST, HAZE AND SMOKE AND LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS ON A HDG OF 110 DEGS CLBING TO THE BLOCKHOUSE PRACTICE AREA (ON AN EL TORO DEP FROM SNA) WITH A STUDENT. AT 4000 FT RADIO COM FAILED AND ALSO THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO AND ATTITUDE INDICATOR FAILED. I CHKED THE RADIO, COM PANEL AND FUSES BUT COULD NOT RE-ESTABLISH 2-WAY RADIO COM. I SQUAWKED 7600 AND PUSHED IDENT. AFTER THAT, I REVERSED COURSE TO A HDG OF 290 DEGS TO GO BACK TO SNA. DUE TO MIST, HAZE, SMOKE, AND CLOUDS, I COULDN'T GO WBOUND (TO THE COAST) OR EBOUND. TO COMPOUND THE PROB, I AM SOMEWHAT UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. I PASSED EL TORO W OF THE ARPT SO I TURNED TO 270 DEGS TO RETURN TO SNA. AT THE SAME TIME, THE STUDENT DIDN'T REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SIT AND PERSISTENTLY TRIED TO CTL THE AIRPLANE EVEN THOUGH I BRIEFED HIM ON THE GND CONCERNING SITS LIKE THIS. THE STUDENT PERSISTED IN INTERFERING WITH CTL WHICH CAUSED ME TO BE DISTR FROM OBSERVING THE ARPT. I PASSED IT ON THE E SIDE. SO I TURNED BACK AGAIN TO FIND THE ARPT. WHEN I FOUND IT, I WAS LOOKING FOR THE LIGHT GUN SIGNALS AND ROCKED THE WINGS, THEN I DECIDED TO DSND AND LAND. I HAD A HARD TIME TO SEE OTHER TFC DUE TO BAD VISIBILITY. IN RETROSPECT, I LEARNED THAT NEXT TIME I WOULD PLACE MORE EMPHASIS ON POSITIONAL AWARENESS, COLLISION AVOIDANCE AND AVOID FLTS INTO MARGINAL VFR WHEN NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA.

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.