Narrative:

This was an instructional IFR flight departing grand rapids, mi. My instrument student was in the left seat. During start-up, taxi and run-up, all engine and flight instruments were working and registering normally. Propeller heat and pitot heat were turned on after run-up and confirmed again before takeoff (propeller heat ammeter showed operational). Takeoff on runway 26R was without event. ATC gave us a vector to 180 degrees. By this time we were in IMC. I noticed my student's bank angle was 30 degrees and I applied right aileron to correct the bank angle to approximately 15 degrees for a standard rate turn. A scan of the turn coordinator showed wings level. At this point I realized that something was wrong and another scan showed the attitude indicator was over 60 degrees bank. I determined that the gyros were not usable and declared 'my controls.' using unusual attitude recovery technique, I saw that we were in a nose down attitude (scan of the airspeed indicator, altimeter and vertical speed indicator). I saw crops through the window of the airplane, on the left side, and we broke out. I used right aileron and pulled back on the yoke to arrest descent. Apparently, we had too much airspeed at that time (even though I had already brought back engine to idle power) and briefly went back into IMC. After we pulled back briefly into IMC, I pushed forward on the yoke to avoid a stall (airspeed was decreasing as a result of engine at idle power and the subsequent pull-out from the IMC). Once airplane was stabilized, I called ATC to inform them of emergency and I informed them 'no gyros.' I intentionally landed without flaps using a shallow glide path with power.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOSS OF ACFT CTL IN A BE36 DURING IMC TRAINING FLT AFTER THE PLT TRAINEE LOSES HIS ARTIFICIAL HORIZON AND THE CFI RECOVERS FROM AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE.

Narrative: THIS WAS AN INSTRUCTIONAL IFR FLT DEPARTING GRAND RAPIDS, MI. MY INST STUDENT WAS IN THE L SEAT. DURING START-UP, TAXI AND RUN-UP, ALL ENG AND FLT INSTS WERE WORKING AND REGISTERING NORMALLY. PROP HEAT AND PITOT HEAT WERE TURNED ON AFTER RUN-UP AND CONFIRMED AGAIN BEFORE TKOF (PROP HEAT AMMETER SHOWED OPERATIONAL). TKOF ON RWY 26R WAS WITHOUT EVENT. ATC GAVE US A VECTOR TO 180 DEGS. BY THIS TIME WE WERE IN IMC. I NOTICED MY STUDENT'S BANK ANGLE WAS 30 DEGS AND I APPLIED R AILERON TO CORRECT THE BANK ANGLE TO APPROX 15 DEGS FOR A STANDARD RATE TURN. A SCAN OF THE TURN COORDINATOR SHOWED WINGS LEVEL. AT THIS POINT I REALIZED THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG AND ANOTHER SCAN SHOWED THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR WAS OVER 60 DEGS BANK. I DETERMINED THAT THE GYROS WERE NOT USABLE AND DECLARED 'MY CTLS.' USING UNUSUAL ATTITUDE RECOVERY TECHNIQUE, I SAW THAT WE WERE IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE (SCAN OF THE AIRSPD INDICATOR, ALTIMETER AND VERT SPD INDICATOR). I SAW CROPS THROUGH THE WINDOW OF THE AIRPLANE, ON THE L SIDE, AND WE BROKE OUT. I USED R AILERON AND PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE TO ARREST DSCNT. APPARENTLY, WE HAD TOO MUCH AIRSPD AT THAT TIME (EVEN THOUGH I HAD ALREADY BROUGHT BACK ENG TO IDLE PWR) AND BRIEFLY WENT BACK INTO IMC. AFTER WE PULLED BACK BRIEFLY INTO IMC, I PUSHED FORWARD ON THE YOKE TO AVOID A STALL (AIRSPD WAS DECREASING AS A RESULT OF ENG AT IDLE PWR AND THE SUBSEQUENT PULL-OUT FROM THE IMC). ONCE AIRPLANE WAS STABILIZED, I CALLED ATC TO INFORM THEM OF EMER AND I INFORMED THEM 'NO GYROS.' I INTENTIONALLY LANDED WITHOUT FLAPS USING A SHALLOW GLIDE PATH WITH PWR.

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.