Narrative:

How problem arose: I fly piper navajos. One aircraft was reported by another pilot to have an erratic attitude indicator. Since this pilot also said the aircraft's heater wasn't operating well, the conclusion was that the attitude indicator problem was cold related. We decided to extensively preheat the cabin, see if the attitude indicator functioned, and take the plane to fai. On inspecting the cabin after this other pilot's problems, I noted the heater temperature control was turned down. I checked WX for the flight to fai, which showed VFR for departure from barrow, IFR conditions over the brooks range en route, and VFR in fai. PIREPS were not available, but the briefer said to expect to be between layers en route. I filed an IFR flight plan along V444 from barrow (brw) to bettles (btt) to fairbanks (fai). Meanwhile, a ground heating unit was applied to the aircraft. After start, I noted the attitude indicator functioning perfectly and the heater putting out lots of heat. I activated my IFR flight plan and departed brw at XA30. About 20 mins into the flight, I contacted fai operations via radio telephone relay and informed my manager that the plane was functioning perfectly (attitude indicator and heater). I was told to return to barrow. I canceled my IFR flight plan and did a 180 degree turn. 10 mins later, operations called and told me to continue to fai. Since I'd been told that zan isn't very tolerant of IFR 'pop-up' clearance requests in the arctic coast area, and since I could see VMC above the clouds far in front of me towards fai (from 11500 ft MSL), I elected to remain VFR and follow my GPS direct to fai and pick up an IFR descent. As I approached the brooks range, the cloud tops got higher. I climbed to 13500 ft MSL planning to contact FSS and refile along V444, which was now to my right. Araktruk pass reported 3/4 mi visibility and bettles was VFR, so I headed direct toward bettles and started trying to contact FSS. At about this time, my crew hatch, located directly to my left, blew open. Since I was single pilot, I set the autoplt and started working to close the door. I felt it critical to secure this door -- with outside air temperature approximately 25 degrees below zero, I was worried about losing the attitude indicator with night approaching. After several mins of struggling, I got the door closed. It was then that I noticed the aircraft's altitude had changed and showed a descent through 4500 ft. I immediately applied climb power and crosschecked my position which showed me south of the highest peaks, and leveled off at 7500 ft, which is safe in that area. I started feeling strange. Subsequently, I discovered that I was at 17500 ft and had apparently misread my altimeter. When I thought I was descending through 4500 ft I was actually at 14500 ft. I am convinced hypoxia and the cold, coupled with my relative inexperience operating single pilot made dealing with the crew hatch problem even worse. Fortunately, I was able to immediately descend, get the autoplt set up and get back on an IFR flight plan. The rest of the flight was uneventful. Contributing factors: while discussing the crew hatch problem with maintenance, I was told the problem was long-standing. I have had the door pop after takeoff before and was always able to close it quickly with copilot's help. I have never had one open in cruise before. The confusion with operations regarding returning to barrow was a factor, causing me to cancel IFR flight plan which would have kept me at 11000 ft the whole way. My disinclination to contact zan to re-establish an IFR flight plan was based on rumor. I will call and file as the situation dictates from now on. Lastly, after a rash of cold WX related problems in barrow, I was anxious to fulfill the company's expectations. Phone discussions with the company's general manager and president that day made it clear the plane had to get to fai. Although the flight marked the beginning of an 11 day vacation, I honestly don't think 'personal get thereitis' was a factor, as evidenced by my desire to take a functional plane 180 degrees back to barrow. I think 'professional get thereitis' was a factor. Corrective actions: the door, heater and attitude indicator are being thoroughly checked by maintenance. I have instructed other pilots not to try this flight VFR unless there are no adverse conditions en route. I have a much humbler attitude about what I can tackle single pilot than I did 24 hours ago. Upon returning from vacation, I have an IFR proficiency check scheduled and have asked my check airman for additional training. Also, I've learned to put a bit less faith I the 'altitude hold' feature of autoplt.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A RELATIVELY INEXPERIENCED PLT FLYING A PA31-350 WITH SEVERAL MECHANICAL PROBS ON A REPOSITIONING FLT BECOMES DISTR AND ALLOWS THE ACFT TO CLB TO 17500 FT WHILE DEALING WITH THE PROB OF A DOOR BEING OPEN INFLT.

Narrative: HOW PROB AROSE: I FLY PIPER NAVAJOS. ONE ACFT WAS RPTED BY ANOTHER PLT TO HAVE AN ERRATIC ATTITUDE INDICATOR. SINCE THIS PLT ALSO SAID THE ACFT'S HEATER WASN'T OPERATING WELL, THE CONCLUSION WAS THAT THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR PROB WAS COLD RELATED. WE DECIDED TO EXTENSIVELY PREHEAT THE CABIN, SEE IF THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR FUNCTIONED, AND TAKE THE PLANE TO FAI. ON INSPECTING THE CABIN AFTER THIS OTHER PLT'S PROBS, I NOTED THE HEATER TEMP CTL WAS TURNED DOWN. I CHKED WX FOR THE FLT TO FAI, WHICH SHOWED VFR FOR DEP FROM BARROW, IFR CONDITIONS OVER THE BROOKS RANGE ENRTE, AND VFR IN FAI. PIREPS WERE NOT AVAILABLE, BUT THE BRIEFER SAID TO EXPECT TO BE BTWN LAYERS ENRTE. I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN ALONG V444 FROM BARROW (BRW) TO BETTLES (BTT) TO FAIRBANKS (FAI). MEANWHILE, A GND HEATING UNIT WAS APPLIED TO THE ACFT. AFTER START, I NOTED THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR FUNCTIONING PERFECTLY AND THE HEATER PUTTING OUT LOTS OF HEAT. I ACTIVATED MY IFR FLT PLAN AND DEPARTED BRW AT XA30. ABOUT 20 MINS INTO THE FLT, I CONTACTED FAI OPS VIA RADIO TELEPHONE RELAY AND INFORMED MY MGR THAT THE PLANE WAS FUNCTIONING PERFECTLY (ATTITUDE INDICATOR AND HEATER). I WAS TOLD TO RETURN TO BARROW. I CANCELED MY IFR FLT PLAN AND DID A 180 DEG TURN. 10 MINS LATER, OPS CALLED AND TOLD ME TO CONTINUE TO FAI. SINCE I'D BEEN TOLD THAT ZAN ISN'T VERY TOLERANT OF IFR 'POP-UP' CLRNC REQUESTS IN THE ARCTIC COAST AREA, AND SINCE I COULD SEE VMC ABOVE THE CLOUDS FAR IN FRONT OF ME TOWARDS FAI (FROM 11500 FT MSL), I ELECTED TO REMAIN VFR AND FOLLOW MY GPS DIRECT TO FAI AND PICK UP AN IFR DSCNT. AS I APCHED THE BROOKS RANGE, THE CLOUD TOPS GOT HIGHER. I CLBED TO 13500 FT MSL PLANNING TO CONTACT FSS AND REFILE ALONG V444, WHICH WAS NOW TO MY R. ARAKTRUK PASS RPTED 3/4 MI VISIBILITY AND BETTLES WAS VFR, SO I HEADED DIRECT TOWARD BETTLES AND STARTED TRYING TO CONTACT FSS. AT ABOUT THIS TIME, MY CREW HATCH, LOCATED DIRECTLY TO MY L, BLEW OPEN. SINCE I WAS SINGLE PLT, I SET THE AUTOPLT AND STARTED WORKING TO CLOSE THE DOOR. I FELT IT CRITICAL TO SECURE THIS DOOR -- WITH OUTSIDE AIR TEMP APPROX 25 DEGS BELOW ZERO, I WAS WORRIED ABOUT LOSING THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR WITH NIGHT APCHING. AFTER SEVERAL MINS OF STRUGGLING, I GOT THE DOOR CLOSED. IT WAS THEN THAT I NOTICED THE ACFT'S ALT HAD CHANGED AND SHOWED A DSCNT THROUGH 4500 FT. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED CLB PWR AND XCHKED MY POS WHICH SHOWED ME S OF THE HIGHEST PEAKS, AND LEVELED OFF AT 7500 FT, WHICH IS SAFE IN THAT AREA. I STARTED FEELING STRANGE. SUBSEQUENTLY, I DISCOVERED THAT I WAS AT 17500 FT AND HAD APPARENTLY MISREAD MY ALTIMETER. WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS DSNDING THROUGH 4500 FT I WAS ACTUALLY AT 14500 FT. I AM CONVINCED HYPOXIA AND THE COLD, COUPLED WITH MY RELATIVE INEXPERIENCE OPERATING SINGLE PLT MADE DEALING WITH THE CREW HATCH PROB EVEN WORSE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY DSND, GET THE AUTOPLT SET UP AND GET BACK ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: WHILE DISCUSSING THE CREW HATCH PROB WITH MAINT, I WAS TOLD THE PROB WAS LONG-STANDING. I HAVE HAD THE DOOR POP AFTER TKOF BEFORE AND WAS ALWAYS ABLE TO CLOSE IT QUICKLY WITH COPLT'S HELP. I HAVE NEVER HAD ONE OPEN IN CRUISE BEFORE. THE CONFUSION WITH OPS REGARDING RETURNING TO BARROW WAS A FACTOR, CAUSING ME TO CANCEL IFR FLT PLAN WHICH WOULD HAVE KEPT ME AT 11000 FT THE WHOLE WAY. MY DISINCLINATION TO CONTACT ZAN TO RE-ESTABLISH AN IFR FLT PLAN WAS BASED ON RUMOR. I WILL CALL AND FILE AS THE SIT DICTATES FROM NOW ON. LASTLY, AFTER A RASH OF COLD WX RELATED PROBS IN BARROW, I WAS ANXIOUS TO FULFILL THE COMPANY'S EXPECTATIONS. PHONE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE COMPANY'S GENERAL MGR AND PRESIDENT THAT DAY MADE IT CLR THE PLANE HAD TO GET TO FAI. ALTHOUGH THE FLT MARKED THE BEGINNING OF AN 11 DAY VACATION, I HONESTLY DON'T THINK 'PERSONAL GET THEREITIS' WAS A FACTOR, AS EVIDENCED BY MY DESIRE TO TAKE A FUNCTIONAL PLANE 180 DEGS BACK TO BARROW. I THINK 'PROFESSIONAL GET THEREITIS' WAS A FACTOR. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: THE DOOR, HEATER AND ATTITUDE INDICATOR ARE BEING THOROUGHLY CHKED BY MAINT. I HAVE INSTRUCTED OTHER PLTS NOT TO TRY THIS FLT VFR UNLESS THERE ARE NO ADVERSE CONDITIONS ENRTE. I HAVE A MUCH HUMBLER ATTITUDE ABOUT WHAT I CAN TACKLE SINGLE PLT THAN I DID 24 HRS AGO. UPON RETURNING FROM VACATION, I HAVE AN IFR PROFICIENCY CHK SCHEDULED AND HAVE ASKED MY CHK AIRMAN FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING. ALSO, I'VE LEARNED TO PUT A BIT LESS FAITH I THE 'ALT HOLD' FEATURE OF AUTOPLT.

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.