Narrative:

On mar/xa/02 at XA00Z, I departed vineyard, ma, airport (mvy) on an instrument flight plan. My destination was norwood, ma (owd), 45 mi away. The ceiling at owd was reported to be 900 ft. The visibility 5 mi. 12 mi outside of norwood, while still in IMC, the autoplt malfunctioned causing the plane to turn drastically on its side and lose 900 ft. After disengaging the autoplt and returning to assigned altitude of 2000 ft, I was unable to complete the approach at norwood -- partially because the ceiling had dropped to below 700 ft and partially due to the after effects of the incident. I diverted to logan airport (bos), but again had 2 missed approachs before being able to land. I needed 'surveillance' assistance by logan approach to land, causing the airport to marshal safety equipment. The airport manager congratulated me on my flying and waived all landing and parking fees, but I'm not sure that my several missed approachs don't constitute a violation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOSS OF ACFT CTL BY A PVT PLT OF A PA32 RESULTS IN MISSED APCH AT DEST ARPT. A DIVERSION OCCURS TO AN ALTERNATE ARPT WHERE RPTR OBTAINS A FLT ASSIST FROM APCH CTLR DURING 2 MISSED APCHS PRIOR TO A LNDG AT BOS, MA.

Narrative: ON MAR/XA/02 AT XA00Z, I DEPARTED VINEYARD, MA, ARPT (MVY) ON AN INST FLT PLAN. MY DEST WAS NORWOOD, MA (OWD), 45 MI AWAY. THE CEILING AT OWD WAS RPTED TO BE 900 FT. THE VISIBILITY 5 MI. 12 MI OUTSIDE OF NORWOOD, WHILE STILL IN IMC, THE AUTOPLT MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE PLANE TO TURN DRASTICALLY ON ITS SIDE AND LOSE 900 FT. AFTER DISENGAGING THE AUTOPLT AND RETURNING TO ASSIGNED ALT OF 2000 FT, I WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETE THE APCH AT NORWOOD -- PARTIALLY BECAUSE THE CEILING HAD DROPPED TO BELOW 700 FT AND PARTIALLY DUE TO THE AFTER EFFECTS OF THE INCIDENT. I DIVERTED TO LOGAN ARPT (BOS), BUT AGAIN HAD 2 MISSED APCHS BEFORE BEING ABLE TO LAND. I NEEDED 'SURVEILLANCE' ASSISTANCE BY LOGAN APCH TO LAND, CAUSING THE ARPT TO MARSHAL SAFETY EQUIP. THE ARPT MGR CONGRATULATED ME ON MY FLYING AND WAIVED ALL LNDG AND PARKING FEES, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT MY SEVERAL MISSED APCHS DON'T CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION.

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.