Narrative:

After takeoff from smo, I noted the HSI was not tracking change of course on the first turn to the right. Notified lax of the problem and after several vectors, requested straight flight for a few mins to troubleshoot the problem. I was handed off and told to make the request to the next controller. The next controller gave me several turns to the left, telling me when to stop the turns. When I was straight, I set the copilot's directional gyro to the compass heading. I was switched back to lax and was given clearance to climb to FL180. I then began to try to find a solution to the problem with the HSI. I was then told to amend altitude climb to 16000 ft which I acknowledged but failed to reset the altitude alert from FL180 to 16000 ft. I was flying by hand because of lack of heading information from HSI to autoplt. I turned the heading selector knob to center the HSI gyro slaving indicator but when it centered, the heading was way off. I then pushed the heading selector knob in and rotated the compass card 360 degrees in the event a gear hang-up was present. There was no circuit breaker for this instrument but there was one for the RMI, which I pulled and reset knowing that the RMI took its information from the HSI. At some time during this, center called and advised traffic at 1 O'clock at 17000 ft, which I acknowledged. I was looking for the traffic while I was troubleshooting the problem with the HSI. My next look at the altimeter showed 16600 ft and I immediately pushed the nose down and then saw 2 C130's a few hundred ft to my right and above. Center called after this and asked my altitude. I informed them I was on my way down and had passed 16000 ft. I was asked to call lax when I reached my destination. I talked with supervisor and told him the above. Problem arose due to my distraction by the malfunctioning HSI. My time should have been spent watching for traffic and my altitude putting the problem with the HSI aside until I was clear of traffic and possibly until I had reached assigned altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C340 PLT HAS A CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH A FLT OF 2 C130'S AS HE OVERSHOOTS HIS AMENDED ALT AS ASSIGNED BY ZLA, CA.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM SMO, I NOTED THE HSI WAS NOT TRACKING CHANGE OF COURSE ON THE FIRST TURN TO THE R. NOTIFIED LAX OF THE PROB AND AFTER SEVERAL VECTORS, REQUESTED STRAIGHT FLT FOR A FEW MINS TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB. I WAS HANDED OFF AND TOLD TO MAKE THE REQUEST TO THE NEXT CTLR. THE NEXT CTLR GAVE ME SEVERAL TURNS TO THE L, TELLING ME WHEN TO STOP THE TURNS. WHEN I WAS STRAIGHT, I SET THE COPLT'S DIRECTIONAL GYRO TO THE COMPASS HDG. I WAS SWITCHED BACK TO LAX AND WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO CLB TO FL180. I THEN BEGAN TO TRY TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THE PROB WITH THE HSI. I WAS THEN TOLD TO AMEND ALT CLB TO 16000 FT WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED BUT FAILED TO RESET THE ALT ALERT FROM FL180 TO 16000 FT. I WAS FLYING BY HAND BECAUSE OF LACK OF HDG INFO FROM HSI TO AUTOPLT. I TURNED THE HDG SELECTOR KNOB TO CTR THE HSI GYRO SLAVING INDICATOR BUT WHEN IT CTRED, THE HDG WAS WAY OFF. I THEN PUSHED THE HDG SELECTOR KNOB IN AND ROTATED THE COMPASS CARD 360 DEGS IN THE EVENT A GEAR HANG-UP WAS PRESENT. THERE WAS NO CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR THIS INST BUT THERE WAS ONE FOR THE RMI, WHICH I PULLED AND RESET KNOWING THAT THE RMI TOOK ITS INFO FROM THE HSI. AT SOME TIME DURING THIS, CTR CALLED AND ADVISED TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK AT 17000 FT, WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED. I WAS LOOKING FOR THE TFC WHILE I WAS TROUBLESHOOTING THE PROB WITH THE HSI. MY NEXT LOOK AT THE ALTIMETER SHOWED 16600 FT AND I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE NOSE DOWN AND THEN SAW 2 C130'S A FEW HUNDRED FT TO MY R AND ABOVE. CTR CALLED AFTER THIS AND ASKED MY ALT. I INFORMED THEM I WAS ON MY WAY DOWN AND HAD PASSED 16000 FT. I WAS ASKED TO CALL LAX WHEN I REACHED MY DEST. I TALKED WITH SUPVR AND TOLD HIM THE ABOVE. PROB AROSE DUE TO MY DISTR BY THE MALFUNCTIONING HSI. MY TIME SHOULD HAVE BEEN SPENT WATCHING FOR TFC AND MY ALT PUTTING THE PROB WITH THE HSI ASIDE UNTIL I WAS CLR OF TFC AND POSSIBLY UNTIL I HAD REACHED ASSIGNED ALT.

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.