Narrative:

On oct/sat/05 at approximately XA30; I departed ZZZ in IMC. Ceiling approximately 400 ft AGL. I was cleared as filed for the departure. Upon departure; I radioed approach to confirm I was off ZZZ. During initial climb out; I realized that my directional gyro was tumbling and not working. I was then cleared direct to abc VOR. I looked and reached over to my navigation radio to FLIP-flop my VOR frequency and dial in my new heading on the VOR. At this same instant; my passenger (and husband) was so totally overcome with vertigo and complete and utter fear; he began vigorously screaming to get him on the ground and in panic grabbed the controls; which in turn caused the aircraft to go into an unusual attitude. Because I was focusing that instant on tuning in my heading; I; too; became disoriented. I instantly made the PIC decision to declare distress to approach. Approach asked the nature of the emergency. I tried to tell them I didn't know if I was right-side up. This; I think; was the last communication for several seconds because my husband would not stop violently screaming and I could not hear ATC. I then decided that I needed to do whatever it took to regain control. I proceeded to reach over and punch my husband in the face and pulled his beard to disrupt his current and extreme panic. During this time; I was trying to get my scan back and get myself straight and level and climb prior to impacting. Keep in mind; my directional gyro was still tumbling. I finally got myself in a wings level climb to 7000 ft. During this time; ATC asked what I wanted to do. I said; 'get to VFR or on the ground.' at that moment; ATC initiated an emergency ASR assist (thank god for good controllers.) during this assist; I was trying to reset my directional gyro. From henceforth; I was able to perform the required actions of ATC. However; I was having difficulty holding headings to standard throughout this entire process due to my now present nervousness; my passenger's episode; and my length of time to be able to focus attention on resetting my directional gyro. Upon completion of the emergency ASR assist; tower requested me to call them. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that her husband is a non current but licensed private pilot. His vertigo was so overwhelming that he was frozen on the controls. After she struck her husband and pulled his beard; they broke out of the clouds at approximately 400 ft AGL; at which time she was able to regain control. She used the word 'distress' to which ATC wanted to know the nature of the problem. The reporter said she would not use the term 'emergency.' she and her husband have apologized to each other. The reporter is currently very active in FAA safety seminars; an active cfii. She has not heard from the FAA; although she was advised that there may be an investigation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA24'S DIRECTIONAL GYRO FAILED IN IMC. THE PLT'S PAX EXPERIENCED EXTREME VERTIGO AND ATTEMPTED TO TAKE THE ACFT'S CTLS. THE PLT REACTED PHYSICALLY AND DECLARED 'DISTRESS;' RETURNING TO LAND WITH ATC ASSISTANCE.

Narrative: ON OCT/SAT/05 AT APPROX XA30; I DEPARTED ZZZ IN IMC. CEILING APPROX 400 FT AGL. I WAS CLRED AS FILED FOR THE DEP. UPON DEP; I RADIOED APCH TO CONFIRM I WAS OFF ZZZ. DURING INITIAL CLBOUT; I REALIZED THAT MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO WAS TUMBLING AND NOT WORKING. I WAS THEN CLRED DIRECT TO ABC VOR. I LOOKED AND REACHED OVER TO MY NAV RADIO TO FLIP-FLOP MY VOR FREQ AND DIAL IN MY NEW HDG ON THE VOR. AT THIS SAME INSTANT; MY PAX (AND HUSBAND) WAS SO TOTALLY OVERCOME WITH VERTIGO AND COMPLETE AND UTTER FEAR; HE BEGAN VIGOROUSLY SCREAMING TO GET HIM ON THE GND AND IN PANIC GRABBED THE CTLS; WHICH IN TURN CAUSED THE ACFT TO GO INTO AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE. BECAUSE I WAS FOCUSING THAT INSTANT ON TUNING IN MY HDG; I; TOO; BECAME DISORIENTED. I INSTANTLY MADE THE PIC DECISION TO DECLARE DISTRESS TO APCH. APCH ASKED THE NATURE OF THE EMER. I TRIED TO TELL THEM I DIDN'T KNOW IF I WAS RIGHT-SIDE UP. THIS; I THINK; WAS THE LAST COM FOR SEVERAL SECONDS BECAUSE MY HUSBAND WOULD NOT STOP VIOLENTLY SCREAMING AND I COULD NOT HEAR ATC. I THEN DECIDED THAT I NEEDED TO DO WHATEVER IT TOOK TO REGAIN CTL. I PROCEEDED TO REACH OVER AND PUNCH MY HUSBAND IN THE FACE AND PULLED HIS BEARD TO DISRUPT HIS CURRENT AND EXTREME PANIC. DURING THIS TIME; I WAS TRYING TO GET MY SCAN BACK AND GET MYSELF STRAIGHT AND LEVEL AND CLB PRIOR TO IMPACTING. KEEP IN MIND; MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO WAS STILL TUMBLING. I FINALLY GOT MYSELF IN A WINGS LEVEL CLB TO 7000 FT. DURING THIS TIME; ATC ASKED WHAT I WANTED TO DO. I SAID; 'GET TO VFR OR ON THE GND.' AT THAT MOMENT; ATC INITIATED AN EMER ASR ASSIST (THANK GOD FOR GOOD CTLRS.) DURING THIS ASSIST; I WAS TRYING TO RESET MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO. FROM HENCEFORTH; I WAS ABLE TO PERFORM THE REQUIRED ACTIONS OF ATC. HOWEVER; I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY HOLDING HDGS TO STANDARD THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS DUE TO MY NOW PRESENT NERVOUSNESS; MY PAX'S EPISODE; AND MY LENGTH OF TIME TO BE ABLE TO FOCUS ATTN ON RESETTING MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO. UPON COMPLETION OF THE EMER ASR ASSIST; TWR REQUESTED ME TO CALL THEM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HER HUSBAND IS A NON CURRENT BUT LICENSED PVT PLT. HIS VERTIGO WAS SO OVERWHELMING THAT HE WAS FROZEN ON THE CTLS. AFTER SHE STRUCK HER HUSBAND AND PULLED HIS BEARD; THEY BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT APPROX 400 FT AGL; AT WHICH TIME SHE WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CTL. SHE USED THE WORD 'DISTRESS' TO WHICH ATC WANTED TO KNOW THE NATURE OF THE PROB. THE RPTR SAID SHE WOULD NOT USE THE TERM 'EMER.' SHE AND HER HUSBAND HAVE APOLOGIZED TO EACH OTHER. THE RPTR IS CURRENTLY VERY ACTIVE IN FAA SAFETY SEMINARS; AN ACTIVE CFII. SHE HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA; ALTHOUGH SHE WAS ADVISED THAT THERE MAY BE AN INVESTIGATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.