Narrative:

I departed in an IFR approved P28A-181/a from arb on an IFR flight plan. I intended to execute the NDB approach into ozw. After requesting and climbing to 4000 ft MSL, I began preparing for the approach. After about 6-8 mins in IMC, my attitude indicator tumbled and began to gyrate erratically. I immediately checked the suction gauge which indicated completely normal, as it had on my preflight check. The directional gyro seemed to be operating normally, so I decided that the vacuum was not the problem. Therefore, I did not pull the standby vacuum. I requested an immediate descent to 3000 ft MSL to get out of the clouds. I then requested and received a vector for the visual approach into ann arbor and landed the aircraft safely. When I arrived at the FBO where I rented the aircraft, the owner laughed and said sarcastically, 'that's not good, is it?' he then told me that they had received numerous complaints about the attitude indicator and that they expected a new one in within the next few days. This shocked me because I never saw a squawk on the time sheet nor did anyone tell me of the problem before I departed, even though I had bought a low altitude chart and asked an instructor how well the aircraft performed in IMC. It is vital that either the owner or the FBO inform the PIC, through either written or verbal notice, that there is a problem with the aircraft. In this case, nobody informed me of the problem even though at least 3 employees knew I would be flying in IMC and let me use the phone to file an IFR flight plan.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LOW TIME PLT, FLYING IN IMC, NOTICED HIS ATTITUDE INDICATOR TUMBLING. HE REQUESTED CLRNC TO THE CLOSEST VMC CONDITIONS AND RECEIVED VECTORS BACK TO HIS HOME ARPT. HE WAS SHOCKED TO FIND THAT THE ACFT OWNER ALREADY KNEW OF THIS DEFECTIVE INST AND YET ALLOWED THE ACFT TO FLY.

Narrative: I DEPARTED IN AN IFR APPROVED P28A-181/A FROM ARB ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. I INTENDED TO EXECUTE THE NDB APCH INTO OZW. AFTER REQUESTING AND CLBING TO 4000 FT MSL, I BEGAN PREPARING FOR THE APCH. AFTER ABOUT 6-8 MINS IN IMC, MY ATTITUDE INDICATOR TUMBLED AND BEGAN TO GYRATE ERRATICALLY. I IMMEDIATELY CHKED THE SUCTION GAUGE WHICH INDICATED COMPLETELY NORMAL, AS IT HAD ON MY PREFLT CHK. THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO SEEMED TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY, SO I DECIDED THAT THE VACUUM WAS NOT THE PROB. THEREFORE, I DID NOT PULL THE STANDBY VACUUM. I REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO 3000 FT MSL TO GET OUT OF THE CLOUDS. I THEN REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A VECTOR FOR THE VISUAL APCH INTO ANN ARBOR AND LANDED THE ACFT SAFELY. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE FBO WHERE I RENTED THE ACFT, THE OWNER LAUGHED AND SAID SARCASTICALLY, 'THAT'S NOT GOOD, IS IT?' HE THEN TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR AND THAT THEY EXPECTED A NEW ONE IN WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THIS SHOCKED ME BECAUSE I NEVER SAW A SQUAWK ON THE TIME SHEET NOR DID ANYONE TELL ME OF THE PROB BEFORE I DEPARTED, EVEN THOUGH I HAD BOUGHT A LOW ALT CHART AND ASKED AN INSTRUCTOR HOW WELL THE ACFT PERFORMED IN IMC. IT IS VITAL THAT EITHER THE OWNER OR THE FBO INFORM THE PIC, THROUGH EITHER WRITTEN OR VERBAL NOTICE, THAT THERE IS A PROB WITH THE ACFT. IN THIS CASE, NOBODY INFORMED ME OF THE PROB EVEN THOUGH AT LEAST 3 EMPLOYEES KNEW I WOULD BE FLYING IN IMC AND LET ME USE THE PHONE TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN.

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.