Narrative:

I am in the aircraft sales business, specializing in warbird sales. I was in the process of delivering a nanching CJ6A from columbus, northeast, to cincinnati, oh. I received an in- person standard WX briefing from the FSS at columbus, northeast. I had planned to make a fuel stop at joliet, il. The briefer indicated that the WX was VFR along the entire route, with a small area of mostly light rain oriented on a north/south line in central iowa. The briefer stated that the WX was good VFR from the iowa-illinois border eastbound, with no clouds below 12000 ft AGL. I filed a VFR flight plan and promptly departed. As I progressed eastbound past the omaha area, the scattered clouds with tops at approximately 5000 ft MSL became broken and finally overcast just west of des moines. Also, as I passed the des moines area at 7500 ft MSL, the lower overcast began to rise. Approximately 30 NM east of des moines, the tops of the overcast were rising rapidly and I climbed to 13500 ft MSL. Approximately 40 NM east of des moines, it became apparent that the tops were rising above 13500 ft and I decided to pick up an IFR clearance to proceed farther east. I initially contacted des moines approach and they gave me a frequency for ZAU. As I attempted to contact center, the new king kx-155 radio became inoperative. Because I now could not proceed eastbound due to the high cloud tops, I decided to turn sbound and search for a break in the clouds to the east. Immediately after turning south, the attitude indicator tumbled. At this point, because I had a second system failure, I decided to turn back wbound and return to the VFR conditions (scattered clouds) that existed in the western iowa and nebraska areas. I shut off both the radio and the electric attitude indicator in hopes that they might reset after 'cooling down.' nearing a position approximately 25 NM south of des moines, I turned both the radio and attitude indicators back on and descended to 10500 ft MSL as the tops of the overcast now appeared to be at approximately 7000- 8000 ft MSL. I attempted to call FSS and was successful in reaching fort dodge radio. I was surprised to hear that the WX to the west had now deteriorated and that a line of thunderstorms and rain showers had developed between my position and the scattered clouds of western iowa and nebraska. It was clear that I was not having a good day! I found myself on top of a solid overcast with unforecast ceilings both east and west, an intermittent radio, and a failed attitude indicator. I decided to contact des moines approach while my radio was still working and request an emergency descent to VFR conditions below the overcast. I contacted des moines approach but within 10 seconds of initial contact, the radio failed again. My only remaining option appeared to be to head west and hope to find a hole in the overcast. I therefore proceeded west and approximately 15 mins later did find a hole and was able to descend in VFR conditions and land at the perry airport. Several factors contributed to this incident. First, the inaccurate WX briefing led me to believe that the WX would be much better than the conditions that I actually encountered. Secondly, the failure of the new kx-155 radio prevented me from simply picking up an IFR clearance and proceeding eastbound. Thirdly, the failure of the electric attitude indicator compounded the difficulty of getting an IFR letdown, especially considering the high winds and turbulence that were present on this day. Although the outcome was good and no FARS were violated, the chain of events in this incident could easily have led to a bad conclusion. Had one more factor (such as night flying) been involved, the outcome could have been much different. In reviewing this incident, I have come to the following conclusions: 1) I could have updated my WX briefing sooner during the flight. 2) I could have carried hand-held radio with external antenna to use as a backup to the new kx-155 radio. 3) I could not have predicted or prevented the radio failure. 4) I could not have predicted or prevented the attitude indicator failure. 5) I was very fortunate to locate a hole in the overcast that permitted a VFR letdown and landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT DELIVERING A NANCHING CJ6A FIGHTER ACFT HAS RADIO FAILURE AND ATTITUDE INDICATOR FAILURE. HE THEN ENCOUNTERS UNFORECAST WX. AFTER DIVERTING HE FOUND A HOLE AND DSNDED TO LAND AT NEARBY ARPT.

Narrative: I AM IN THE ACFT SALES BUSINESS, SPECIALIZING IN WARBIRD SALES. I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF DELIVERING A NANCHING CJ6A FROM COLUMBUS, NE, TO CINCINNATI, OH. I RECEIVED AN IN- PERSON STANDARD WX BRIEFING FROM THE FSS AT COLUMBUS, NE. I HAD PLANNED TO MAKE A FUEL STOP AT JOLIET, IL. THE BRIEFER INDICATED THAT THE WX WAS VFR ALONG THE ENTIRE RTE, WITH A SMALL AREA OF MOSTLY LIGHT RAIN ORIENTED ON A N/S LINE IN CENTRAL IOWA. THE BRIEFER STATED THAT THE WX WAS GOOD VFR FROM THE IOWA-ILLINOIS BORDER EBOUND, WITH NO CLOUDS BELOW 12000 FT AGL. I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN AND PROMPTLY DEPARTED. AS I PROGRESSED EBOUND PAST THE OMAHA AREA, THE SCATTERED CLOUDS WITH TOPS AT APPROX 5000 FT MSL BECAME BROKEN AND FINALLY OVCST JUST W OF DES MOINES. ALSO, AS I PASSED THE DES MOINES AREA AT 7500 FT MSL, THE LOWER OVCST BEGAN TO RISE. APPROX 30 NM E OF DES MOINES, THE TOPS OF THE OVCST WERE RISING RAPIDLY AND I CLBED TO 13500 FT MSL. APPROX 40 NM E OF DES MOINES, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE TOPS WERE RISING ABOVE 13500 FT AND I DECIDED TO PICK UP AN IFR CLRNC TO PROCEED FARTHER E. I INITIALLY CONTACTED DES MOINES APCH AND THEY GAVE ME A FREQ FOR ZAU. AS I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT CTR, THE NEW KING KX-155 RADIO BECAME INOP. BECAUSE I NOW COULD NOT PROCEED EBOUND DUE TO THE HIGH CLOUD TOPS, I DECIDED TO TURN SBOUND AND SEARCH FOR A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS TO THE E. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TURNING S, THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR TUMBLED. AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE I HAD A SECOND SYS FAILURE, I DECIDED TO TURN BACK WBOUND AND RETURN TO THE VFR CONDITIONS (SCATTERED CLOUDS) THAT EXISTED IN THE WESTERN IOWA AND NEBRASKA AREAS. I SHUT OFF BOTH THE RADIO AND THE ELECTRIC ATTITUDE INDICATOR IN HOPES THAT THEY MIGHT RESET AFTER 'COOLING DOWN.' NEARING A POS APPROX 25 NM S OF DES MOINES, I TURNED BOTH THE RADIO AND ATTITUDE INDICATORS BACK ON AND DSNDED TO 10500 FT MSL AS THE TOPS OF THE OVCST NOW APPEARED TO BE AT APPROX 7000- 8000 FT MSL. I ATTEMPTED TO CALL FSS AND WAS SUCCESSFUL IN REACHING FORT DODGE RADIO. I WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT THE WX TO THE W HAD NOW DETERIORATED AND THAT A LINE OF TSTMS AND RAIN SHOWERS HAD DEVELOPED BTWN MY POS AND THE SCATTERED CLOUDS OF WESTERN IOWA AND NEBRASKA. IT WAS CLR THAT I WAS NOT HAVING A GOOD DAY! I FOUND MYSELF ON TOP OF A SOLID OVCST WITH UNFORECAST CEILINGS BOTH E AND W, AN INTERMITTENT RADIO, AND A FAILED ATTITUDE INDICATOR. I DECIDED TO CONTACT DES MOINES APCH WHILE MY RADIO WAS STILL WORKING AND REQUEST AN EMER DSCNT TO VFR CONDITIONS BELOW THE OVCST. I CONTACTED DES MOINES APCH BUT WITHIN 10 SECONDS OF INITIAL CONTACT, THE RADIO FAILED AGAIN. MY ONLY REMAINING OPTION APPEARED TO BE TO HEAD W AND HOPE TO FIND A HOLE IN THE OVCST. I THEREFORE PROCEEDED W AND APPROX 15 MINS LATER DID FIND A HOLE AND WAS ABLE TO DSND IN VFR CONDITIONS AND LAND AT THE PERRY ARPT. SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT. FIRST, THE INACCURATE WX BRIEFING LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE WX WOULD BE MUCH BETTER THAN THE CONDITIONS THAT I ACTUALLY ENCOUNTERED. SECONDLY, THE FAILURE OF THE NEW KX-155 RADIO PREVENTED ME FROM SIMPLY PICKING UP AN IFR CLRNC AND PROCEEDING EBOUND. THIRDLY, THE FAILURE OF THE ELECTRIC ATTITUDE INDICATOR COMPOUNDED THE DIFFICULTY OF GETTING AN IFR LETDOWN, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE HIGH WINDS AND TURB THAT WERE PRESENT ON THIS DAY. ALTHOUGH THE OUTCOME WAS GOOD AND NO FARS WERE VIOLATED, THE CHAIN OF EVENTS IN THIS INCIDENT COULD EASILY HAVE LED TO A BAD CONCLUSION. HAD ONE MORE FACTOR (SUCH AS NIGHT FLYING) BEEN INVOLVED, THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH DIFFERENT. IN REVIEWING THIS INCIDENT, I HAVE COME TO THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS: 1) I COULD HAVE UPDATED MY WX BRIEFING SOONER DURING THE FLT. 2) I COULD HAVE CARRIED HAND-HELD RADIO WITH EXTERNAL ANTENNA TO USE AS A BACKUP TO THE NEW KX-155 RADIO. 3) I COULD NOT HAVE PREDICTED OR PREVENTED THE RADIO FAILURE. 4) I COULD NOT HAVE PREDICTED OR PREVENTED THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR FAILURE. 5) I WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO LOCATE A HOLE IN THE OVCST THAT PERMITTED A VFR LETDOWN AND LNDG.

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.