Narrative:

On IFR flight; center gave me pilot's discretion to FL240. I had the autoplt on and when I looked over to check and see what distance I was from ZZZ1 and looked back at the attitude indicator. I noticed that the airplane was in a steep turn with an extreme nose down pitch attitude. At this point; I was in an unusual attitude and instantly brought back the throttles to slow the plane down. I told center that I was declaring an emergency and that I had lost my attitude indicator and needed assistance. My attitude indicator at this time was tumbling and I looked over to check my back-up attitude indicator and it was also tumbling. Once I realized that I had lost both attitude indicators; I focused on leveling the wings and pitching up and was able to get the airplane back under control. I leveled the plane out at about 10000 ft MSL. I told center that I had control of the plane and that I had lost both attitude indicators and asked for assistance to the nearest airport. Center instructed me that ZZZ2 was close by and gave me runway length and airport elevation. I told center that I was going to land there and that I would call to cancel my IFR flight plan with the FSS department when I was on the ground; which I did.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA-31T AT FL250 ENTERED AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE AFTER LOSING BOTH ATTITUDE INDICATORS. EMER WAS DECLARED AND A LNDG WAS MADE AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.

Narrative: ON IFR FLT; CTR GAVE ME PLT'S DISCRETION TO FL240. I HAD THE AUTOPLT ON AND WHEN I LOOKED OVER TO CHK AND SEE WHAT DISTANCE I WAS FROM ZZZ1 AND LOOKED BACK AT THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR. I NOTICED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS IN A STEEP TURN WITH AN EXTREME NOSE DOWN PITCH ATTITUDE. AT THIS POINT; I WAS IN AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE AND INSTANTLY BROUGHT BACK THE THROTTLES TO SLOW THE PLANE DOWN. I TOLD CTR THAT I WAS DECLARING AN EMER AND THAT I HAD LOST MY ATTITUDE INDICATOR AND NEEDED ASSISTANCE. MY ATTITUDE INDICATOR AT THIS TIME WAS TUMBLING AND I LOOKED OVER TO CHK MY BACK-UP ATTITUDE INDICATOR AND IT WAS ALSO TUMBLING. ONCE I REALIZED THAT I HAD LOST BOTH ATTITUDE INDICATORS; I FOCUSED ON LEVELING THE WINGS AND PITCHING UP AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE AIRPLANE BACK UNDER CTL. I LEVELED THE PLANE OUT AT ABOUT 10000 FT MSL. I TOLD CTR THAT I HAD CTL OF THE PLANE AND THAT I HAD LOST BOTH ATTITUDE INDICATORS AND ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE TO THE NEAREST ARPT. CTR INSTRUCTED ME THAT ZZZ2 WAS CLOSE BY AND GAVE ME RWY LENGTH AND ARPT ELEVATION. I TOLD CTR THAT I WAS GOING TO LAND THERE AND THAT I WOULD CALL TO CANCEL MY IFR FLT PLAN WITH THE FSS DEPT WHEN I WAS ON THE GND; WHICH I DID.

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.