Narrative:

On a VFR cross country from 1s0 to S21. Landed at S21 VFR. Checked the WX on the phone. WX from portland area north, was reporting MVFR conditions. Flight instructor and I elected to file an IFR flight plan from ubg VOR, to 1s0 with alternate being tiw. We completed an IFR taxi checklist, all system checked out correctly. Upon nearing the ubg VOR, we picked up IFR clearance and climbed to 6000 ft MSL. We entered IMC at about 4000 ft MSL before reaching ubg, and were in IMC the rest of the flight. We crossed ubg and went northbound on V-165. After approximately 30 mins of IMC, we noticed that we had to reset the directional gyroscope too often. It was also precessing erratically. It would hold heading, then precess quickly. At this point, we notified ATC of inoperative equipment. ATC notified us that we had also strayed from the airway. We requested our ground track, and it did not seem to match our compass heading. The compass was also swinging to all different headings, and we notified ATC of this. From here out, we received no-gyroscope vectors on V-165, ATC advised us that clouds and visibility was too low to get vectored to IS0 for a visual. We elected to get vectored for an ILS at tiw, and we vectored to final on the localizer and landed safely at tiw. After further evaluate with my instructor and others, we found that we were suffering from 'get homeitis,' and the thing we should have done, is turn around, and land in salem in VFR. We were failing to see the 'big picture' and land where it was no factor. Supplemental information from acn 582688: passing through 4000 ft MSL, we entered instrument conditions. From this point we tracked to the newberg VOR, then turned north on V-165 and tracked to olm. We were about 15 NM north of ubg on V-165, and we were noticing that the heading indicator was starting to precess pretty rapidly. Instead of continuing to fly a compromised aircraft into worse WX and having to shoot an instrument approach, that the best WX in the area should have been obtained, and we should have landed as soon as practical to regroup. I think that contributing factors were the radio stack being abnormally hot, the incorrect forecast of WX, being on an IFR flight plan (that would only give us a 6000 ft MEA), and 2 pilots that had had relatively little experience with a failure of this nature while in IMC. Also the skill and training of both pilots, and through good use of CRM, we were able to control the aircraft, and complete all duties. I will also stress to my instrument students, that a situation like this, especially if you are single pilot, is an emergency, and should be handled like one (not necessarily squawking 7700 and saying mayday, mayday...but should be treated with respect, and you should find the best WX, and get down). Had I had this mentality, I would have had much less exciting of a day that day, and we would have conducted the flight with the safety that we all expect of ourselves and our students.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 C172 PLTS HAVE TO OBTAIN VECTORS AND A NO GYROSCOPE APCH AFTER DIVERTING TO ANOTHER ARPT WHEN THEIR DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE WAS PRECESSING AT AN ABNORMALLY HIGH RATE WHILE IFR TO 1S0, WA.

Narrative: ON A VFR XCOUNTRY FROM 1S0 TO S21. LANDED AT S21 VFR. CHKED THE WX ON THE PHONE. WX FROM PORTLAND AREA N, WAS RPTING MVFR CONDITIONS. FLT INSTRUCTOR AND I ELECTED TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM UBG VOR, TO 1S0 WITH ALTERNATE BEING TIW. WE COMPLETED AN IFR TAXI CHKLIST, ALL SYS CHKED OUT CORRECTLY. UPON NEARING THE UBG VOR, WE PICKED UP IFR CLRNC AND CLBED TO 6000 FT MSL. WE ENTERED IMC AT ABOUT 4000 FT MSL BEFORE REACHING UBG, AND WERE IN IMC THE REST OF THE FLT. WE CROSSED UBG AND WENT NBOUND ON V-165. AFTER APPROX 30 MINS OF IMC, WE NOTICED THAT WE HAD TO RESET THE DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE TOO OFTEN. IT WAS ALSO PRECESSING ERRATICALLY. IT WOULD HOLD HEADING, THEN PRECESS QUICKLY. AT THIS POINT, WE NOTIFIED ATC OF INOP EQUIP. ATC NOTIFIED US THAT WE HAD ALSO STRAYED FROM THE AIRWAY. WE REQUESTED OUR GND TRACK, AND IT DID NOT SEEM TO MATCH OUR COMPASS HEADING. THE COMPASS WAS ALSO SWINGING TO ALL DIFFERENT HEADINGS, AND WE NOTIFIED ATC OF THIS. FROM HERE OUT, WE RECEIVED NO-GYROSCOPE VECTORS ON V-165, ATC ADVISED US THAT CLOUDS AND VISIBILITY WAS TOO LOW TO GET VECTORED TO IS0 FOR A VISUAL. WE ELECTED TO GET VECTORED FOR AN ILS AT TIW, AND WE VECTORED TO FINAL ON THE LOC AND LANDED SAFELY AT TIW. AFTER FURTHER EVAL WITH MY INSTRUCTOR AND OTHERS, WE FOUND THAT WE WERE SUFFERING FROM 'GET HOMEITIS,' AND THE THING WE SHOULD HAVE DONE, IS TURN AROUND, AND LAND IN SALEM IN VFR. WE WERE FAILING TO SEE THE 'BIG PICTURE' AND LAND WHERE IT WAS NO FACTOR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 582688: PASSING THROUGH 4000 FT MSL, WE ENTERED INST CONDITIONS. FROM THIS POINT WE TRACKED TO THE NEWBERG VOR, THEN TURNED N ON V-165 AND TRACKED TO OLM. WE WERE ABOUT 15 NM N OF UBG ON V-165, AND WE WERE NOTICING THAT THE HEADING INDICATOR WAS STARTING TO PRECESS PRETTY RAPIDLY. INSTEAD OF CONTINUING TO FLY A COMPROMISED ACFT INTO WORSE WX AND HAVING TO SHOOT AN INST APCH, THAT THE BEST WX IN THE AREA SHOULD HAVE BEEN OBTAINED, AND WE SHOULD HAVE LANDED AS SOON AS PRACTICAL TO REGROUP. I THINK THAT CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE RADIO STACK BEING ABNORMALLY HOT, THE INCORRECT FORECAST OF WX, BEING ON AN IFR FLT PLAN (THAT WOULD ONLY GIVE US A 6000 FT MEA), AND 2 PLTS THAT HAD HAD RELATIVELY LITTLE EXPERIENCE WITH A FAILURE OF THIS NATURE WHILE IN IMC. ALSO THE SKILL AND TRAINING OF BOTH PLTS, AND THROUGH GOOD USE OF CRM, WE WERE ABLE TO CTL THE ACFT, AND COMPLETE ALL DUTIES. I WILL ALSO STRESS TO MY INST STUDENTS, THAT A SIT LIKE THIS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE SINGLE PLT, IS AN EMER, AND SHOULD BE HANDLED LIKE ONE (NOT NECESSARILY SQUAWKING 7700 AND SAYING MAYDAY, MAYDAY...BUT SHOULD BE TREATED WITH RESPECT, AND YOU SHOULD FIND THE BEST WX, AND GET DOWN). HAD I HAD THIS MENTALITY, I WOULD HAVE HAD MUCH LESS EXCITING OF A DAY THAT DAY, AND WE WOULD HAVE CONDUCTED THE FLT WITH THE SAFETY THAT WE ALL EXPECT OF OURSELVES AND OUR STUDENTS.

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.