Narrative:

Departure clearance from ATC was 'cleared as filed, left turn to 300 degrees, climb to and maintain 4000 ft, squawk abcd, departure frequency is 124.95.' after departure and while in the l-hand turn on climb out, I entered the clouds at 700 ft AGL, solid IMC. At 2000 ft MSL, I noticed my turn was greater than 15 degrees, standard rate. I corrected for it to the right. While still IMC, I looked outside to the left just as I would have done to clear the area for the turn. I reported my departure to ATC and was cleared to change to departure frequency. I then had to turn my head to the right. It was at this time that I first noticed the sound of my aircraft in an overspd condition -- 140 mph. I pulled off power and pulled aft for pitch since I had entered into a descent. I still felt that I was in a l-hand turn going to my assigned heading of 300 degrees. However, my directional gyro was turning in the wrong direction and the attitude indicator showed me in a r-hand bank of more than 30 degrees and increasing. The airspeed suddenly decreased to 80 mph and slowing. I then took immediate corrective action and treated this as an 'unusual attitude.' training kicked in, full power, level the wings, stop the climb. However, I was still fighting the sensation of a l-hand turn. Once the aircraft was back under my control, I executed a gentle 10 degree l-hand turn and completed a near 360 degree circle while maintaining 2200 ft. I rolled out on my original assigned heading of 300 degrees and continued my climb to 4000 ft. My execution of the circle to the left helped me overcome the spatial disorientation that I was experiencing while at the same time concentrating on my instruments to make them all agree. The remainder of my flight was in IMC and uneventful to my destination, 50 mins later. I did not report my situation to ATC nor did I request to make a circle. It was all I could do to fight for what I realized was for my life. Not talking to ATC and concentrating on what I was doing was more important than answering questions to somebody on the ground. I knew there was no other aircraft anywhere near me -- situational awareness -- and I was under radar contact. The controller did not ask if there was a problem. I was asked to reset my transponder to the correct setting of abcd during my climb to 4000 ft. My whole experience lasted approximately 60-120 seconds. I learned more from this experience than I thought possible. I do feel that spatial disorientation needs more emphasis during training for both the private and IFR rating. I was lucky that my IFR instructor stressed partial panel as much as he did. At one point during my recovery, I treated my attitude indicator as 'unreliable,' and worked off of my turn coordinator and directional gyro. I have had my attitude indicator overhauled twice within the past 9 months due to failures while VFR. Each failure of the attitude indicator resulted in a 5-8 degree tilt to the right. Consequently, I did not completely trust that indicator, when in fact it was telling me the truth -- 'this time.' I'm to replace this indicator for a new one regardless. I do contribute 3 factors to my saving the situation: 1) my IFR training, 2) a small amount of skill, and 3) the grace of god.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT HAD VERTIGO IN IMC DEPARTING THE IND AREA.

Narrative: DEP CLRNC FROM ATC WAS 'CLRED AS FILED, L TURN TO 300 DEGS, CLB TO AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT, SQUAWK ABCD, DEP FREQ IS 124.95.' AFTER DEP AND WHILE IN THE L-HAND TURN ON CLBOUT, I ENTERED THE CLOUDS AT 700 FT AGL, SOLID IMC. AT 2000 FT MSL, I NOTICED MY TURN WAS GREATER THAN 15 DEGS, STANDARD RATE. I CORRECTED FOR IT TO THE R. WHILE STILL IMC, I LOOKED OUTSIDE TO THE L JUST AS I WOULD HAVE DONE TO CLR THE AREA FOR THE TURN. I RPTED MY DEP TO ATC AND WAS CLRED TO CHANGE TO DEP FREQ. I THEN HAD TO TURN MY HEAD TO THE R. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT I FIRST NOTICED THE SOUND OF MY ACFT IN AN OVERSPD CONDITION -- 140 MPH. I PULLED OFF PWR AND PULLED AFT FOR PITCH SINCE I HAD ENTERED INTO A DSCNT. I STILL FELT THAT I WAS IN A L-HAND TURN GOING TO MY ASSIGNED HDG OF 300 DEGS. HOWEVER, MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO WAS TURNING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION AND THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR SHOWED ME IN A R-HAND BANK OF MORE THAN 30 DEGS AND INCREASING. THE AIRSPD SUDDENLY DECREASED TO 80 MPH AND SLOWING. I THEN TOOK IMMEDIATE CORRECTIVE ACTION AND TREATED THIS AS AN 'UNUSUAL ATTITUDE.' TRAINING KICKED IN, FULL PWR, LEVEL THE WINGS, STOP THE CLB. HOWEVER, I WAS STILL FIGHTING THE SENSATION OF A L-HAND TURN. ONCE THE ACFT WAS BACK UNDER MY CTL, I EXECUTED A GENTLE 10 DEG L-HAND TURN AND COMPLETED A NEAR 360 DEG CIRCLE WHILE MAINTAINING 2200 FT. I ROLLED OUT ON MY ORIGINAL ASSIGNED HDG OF 300 DEGS AND CONTINUED MY CLB TO 4000 FT. MY EXECUTION OF THE CIRCLE TO THE L HELPED ME OVERCOME THE SPATIAL DISORIENTATION THAT I WAS EXPERIENCING WHILE AT THE SAME TIME CONCENTRATING ON MY INSTS TO MAKE THEM ALL AGREE. THE REMAINDER OF MY FLT WAS IN IMC AND UNEVENTFUL TO MY DEST, 50 MINS LATER. I DID NOT RPT MY SIT TO ATC NOR DID I REQUEST TO MAKE A CIRCLE. IT WAS ALL I COULD DO TO FIGHT FOR WHAT I REALIZED WAS FOR MY LIFE. NOT TALKING TO ATC AND CONCENTRATING ON WHAT I WAS DOING WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANSWERING QUESTIONS TO SOMEBODY ON THE GND. I KNEW THERE WAS NO OTHER ACFT ANYWHERE NEAR ME -- SITUATIONAL AWARENESS -- AND I WAS UNDER RADAR CONTACT. THE CTLR DID NOT ASK IF THERE WAS A PROB. I WAS ASKED TO RESET MY XPONDER TO THE CORRECT SETTING OF ABCD DURING MY CLB TO 4000 FT. MY WHOLE EXPERIENCE LASTED APPROX 60-120 SECONDS. I LEARNED MORE FROM THIS EXPERIENCE THAN I THOUGHT POSSIBLE. I DO FEEL THAT SPATIAL DISORIENTATION NEEDS MORE EMPHASIS DURING TRAINING FOR BOTH THE PVT AND IFR RATING. I WAS LUCKY THAT MY IFR INSTRUCTOR STRESSED PARTIAL PANEL AS MUCH AS HE DID. AT ONE POINT DURING MY RECOVERY, I TREATED MY ATTITUDE INDICATOR AS 'UNRELIABLE,' AND WORKED OFF OF MY TURN COORDINATOR AND DIRECTIONAL GYRO. I HAVE HAD MY ATTITUDE INDICATOR OVERHAULED TWICE WITHIN THE PAST 9 MONTHS DUE TO FAILURES WHILE VFR. EACH FAILURE OF THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR RESULTED IN A 5-8 DEG TILT TO THE R. CONSEQUENTLY, I DID NOT COMPLETELY TRUST THAT INDICATOR, WHEN IN FACT IT WAS TELLING ME THE TRUTH -- 'THIS TIME.' I'M TO REPLACE THIS INDICATOR FOR A NEW ONE REGARDLESS. I DO CONTRIBUTE 3 FACTORS TO MY SAVING THE SIT: 1) MY IFR TRAINING, 2) A SMALL AMOUNT OF SKILL, AND 3) THE GRACE OF GOD.

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.