Narrative:

This information is passed from flying pilot and the safety pilot, flight of C172 with no autoplt equipment. Flight from plb to 5b5. Flight received WX briefing, indicated ceiling rising, winds moderate, rain clearing off. Freezing level 7000 ft, would be considered MVFR along route V487. PNF was asked to go along as safety pilot/observer. Pilot filed IFR, left plb in light rain, clearing in the west, ceiling above 4000 ft. Flight was made at 4000 ft as filed. About 30 mi north of cambridge VOR, approach asked for climb to 5000 ft, putting us in IFR, with immediate moderate turbulence and gusts, resulting in altitude changes of up to 300 ft below and 300 ft above altitude and gusts blowing us off heading assigned. During this time, directional gyro was precessing and difficult to reset with wet compass as it was unstable. Pilot continued with headings from approach to cambridge and cleared for approach (18 mins before alb approach had cleared another aircraft into 5b5 and they said they broke out around 3000 ft). Pilot descended to 3500 ft, stabilized for approach. Directional gyro precessing and 'to' on VOR, still in moderate turbulence and gusting winds, cleared to land 1 mi from cambridge. About 3 mins later, alb approach called for immediate climb to 5000 ft with left turn to 270 degrees. The VOR in aircraft had not gone from to/from. Approach brought us around for second try. Flight conditions did not change, but seemed a little worse -- again to/from did not change on station passage. Pilot called approach, requested direct to plb. Approach gave us 360 degree heading and climb to 7000 ft. Conditions worsened with quarter left headwind in gusts, directional gyro precessing, wet compass unstable from turbulence. Approach gave us 'stop turns' the rest of the way to plb. At 7000 ft we picked up icing and carried that to the middle of lake champlain when we were able to descend to 4000 ft and 40 degree temperature. At this time we broke out of the IFR conditions and continued on to plb VFR. This is a brief summary of the events of this flight. We were not able to hold altitude and heading as requested as a result of above noted events. We do not believe that we interfered with other flts in the area we were in. The aircraft flown is being checked for above noted problem with vors and directional gyro.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SAFETY PLT RPT REGARDING A C172 FLT IN WHICH THE WX WORSENED AND TURB WAS SUCH THAT HDG AND ALT COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED.

Narrative: THIS INFO IS PASSED FROM FLYING PLT AND THE SAFETY PLT, FLT OF C172 WITH NO AUTOPLT EQUIP. FLT FROM PLB TO 5B5. FLT RECEIVED WX BRIEFING, INDICATED CEILING RISING, WINDS MODERATE, RAIN CLRING OFF. FREEZING LEVEL 7000 FT, WOULD BE CONSIDERED MVFR ALONG RTE V487. PNF WAS ASKED TO GO ALONG AS SAFETY PLT/OBSERVER. PLT FILED IFR, LEFT PLB IN LIGHT RAIN, CLRING IN THE W, CEILING ABOVE 4000 FT. FLT WAS MADE AT 4000 FT AS FILED. ABOUT 30 MI N OF CAMBRIDGE VOR, APCH ASKED FOR CLB TO 5000 FT, PUTTING US IN IFR, WITH IMMEDIATE MODERATE TURB AND GUSTS, RESULTING IN ALT CHANGES OF UP TO 300 FT BELOW AND 300 FT ABOVE ALT AND GUSTS BLOWING US OFF HDG ASSIGNED. DURING THIS TIME, DIRECTIONAL GYRO WAS PRECESSING AND DIFFICULT TO RESET WITH WET COMPASS AS IT WAS UNSTABLE. PLT CONTINUED WITH HDGS FROM APCH TO CAMBRIDGE AND CLRED FOR APCH (18 MINS BEFORE ALB APCH HAD CLRED ANOTHER ACFT INTO 5B5 AND THEY SAID THEY BROKE OUT AROUND 3000 FT). PLT DSNDED TO 3500 FT, STABILIZED FOR APCH. DIRECTIONAL GYRO PRECESSING AND 'TO' ON VOR, STILL IN MODERATE TURB AND GUSTING WINDS, CLRED TO LAND 1 MI FROM CAMBRIDGE. ABOUT 3 MINS LATER, ALB APCH CALLED FOR IMMEDIATE CLB TO 5000 FT WITH L TURN TO 270 DEGS. THE VOR IN ACFT HAD NOT GONE FROM TO/FROM. APCH BROUGHT US AROUND FOR SECOND TRY. FLT CONDITIONS DID NOT CHANGE, BUT SEEMED A LITTLE WORSE -- AGAIN TO/FROM DID NOT CHANGE ON STATION PASSAGE. PLT CALLED APCH, REQUESTED DIRECT TO PLB. APCH GAVE US 360 DEG HDG AND CLB TO 7000 FT. CONDITIONS WORSENED WITH QUARTER L HEADWIND IN GUSTS, DIRECTIONAL GYRO PRECESSING, WET COMPASS UNSTABLE FROM TURB. APCH GAVE US 'STOP TURNS' THE REST OF THE WAY TO PLB. AT 7000 FT WE PICKED UP ICING AND CARRIED THAT TO THE MIDDLE OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO DSND TO 4000 FT AND 40 DEG TEMP. AT THIS TIME WE BROKE OUT OF THE IFR CONDITIONS AND CONTINUED ON TO PLB VFR. THIS IS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE EVENTS OF THIS FLT. WE WERE NOT ABLE TO HOLD ALT AND HDG AS REQUESTED AS A RESULT OF ABOVE NOTED EVENTS. WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT WE INTERFERED WITH OTHER FLTS IN THE AREA WE WERE IN. THE ACFT FLOWN IS BEING CHKED FOR ABOVE NOTED PROB WITH VORS AND DIRECTIONAL GYRO.

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.