C172 flight instructor and student have a track and heading deviations during departure from sna.

Attributes
ACN	696936
Time
Date	200605
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sli.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 23 flight time type : 103
ASRS Report	696936
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : returned to original clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

My instructor and I got an IFR clearance from sna to lgb to practice multiple approachs in the area (lgb ILS runway 30; ful VOR-a and sna ILS runway 19R). The clearance given by sna clearance on frequency 118.0 was 'clear to lgb; after departure turn right heading 220 degrees; vectors to sli; climb 2000 ft frequency 124.65 and squawk. The ATIS information for sna was showing 5 mi visibility; ceiling 1300 ft overcast and pressure of 29.95. Everything seemed ok at the run-up area; but right after departure and while climbing and turning to heading 220 degrees; ATC issued a new altitude of 1600 ft for the lgb ILS approach. By this moment we were inside the clouds and the flying instruments: turn coordinator; heading indicator; and artificial horizon showed up totally different reading among them than expected and I notified the instructor right away before I started to get disoriented. While trying to identify the problem we kept climbing trying to get out of the clouds since by word of mouth we had the information that the tops were at 2000 ft. We notified ATC that we were having problems with the instruments and we needed to go VFR on top of the clouds. In the meantime; ATC requested us to change heading to 330 degrees but because the heading indicator was not working properly and we were in a climbing attitude the compass was not giving us the right lecture. ATC requested us to change to heading 330 degrees immediately; but because of the reasons mentioned previously we were not sure of our position; so based on previous position we started to turn to the right and leveling the plane to get the right lecture from the compass. Once established in the 330 degree heading we started climbing again. As we reached the top of the clouds and in VFR conditions; we canceled the IFR clearance while we were trying to figure out what just has happened. ATC told us then to keep to VFR and flying to west heading. It turns out that the turn coordinator stopped working and the heading indicator knob got stuck impeding the heading indicator to work properly. The turn coordinator was covered and we flew for some mins until we were sure the heading indicator was working properly along with all the rest of the instruments.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 FLT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT HAVE A TRACK AND HDG DEVS DURING DEP FROM SNA.

Narrative: MY INSTRUCTOR AND I GOT AN IFR CLRNC FROM SNA TO LGB TO PRACTICE MULTIPLE APCHS IN THE AREA (LGB ILS RWY 30; FUL VOR-A AND SNA ILS RWY 19R). THE CLRNC GIVEN BY SNA CLRNC ON FREQ 118.0 WAS 'CLR TO LGB; AFTER DEP TURN R HDG 220 DEGS; VECTORS TO SLI; CLB 2000 FT FREQ 124.65 AND SQUAWK. THE ATIS INFO FOR SNA WAS SHOWING 5 MI VISIBILITY; CEILING 1300 FT OVCST AND PRESSURE OF 29.95. EVERYTHING SEEMED OK AT THE RUN-UP AREA; BUT RIGHT AFTER DEP AND WHILE CLBING AND TURNING TO HDG 220 DEGS; ATC ISSUED A NEW ALT OF 1600 FT FOR THE LGB ILS APCH. BY THIS MOMENT WE WERE INSIDE THE CLOUDS AND THE FLYING INSTS: TURN COORDINATOR; HDG INDICATOR; AND ARTIFICIAL HORIZON SHOWED UP TOTALLY DIFFERENT READING AMONG THEM THAN EXPECTED AND I NOTIFIED THE INSTRUCTOR RIGHT AWAY BEFORE I STARTED TO GET DISORIENTED. WHILE TRYING TO IDENT THE PROB WE KEPT CLBING TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE CLOUDS SINCE BY WORD OF MOUTH WE HAD THE INFO THAT THE TOPS WERE AT 2000 FT. WE NOTIFIED ATC THAT WE WERE HAVING PROBS WITH THE INSTS AND WE NEEDED TO GO VFR ON TOP OF THE CLOUDS. IN THE MEANTIME; ATC REQUESTED US TO CHANGE HDG TO 330 DEGS BUT BECAUSE THE HDG INDICATOR WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND WE WERE IN A CLBING ATTITUDE THE COMPASS WAS NOT GIVING US THE RIGHT LECTURE. ATC REQUESTED US TO CHANGE TO HDG 330 DEGS IMMEDIATELY; BUT BECAUSE OF THE REASONS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY WE WERE NOT SURE OF OUR POS; SO BASED ON PREVIOUS POS WE STARTED TO TURN TO THE R AND LEVELING THE PLANE TO GET THE RIGHT LECTURE FROM THE COMPASS. ONCE ESTABLISHED IN THE 330 DEG HDG WE STARTED CLBING AGAIN. AS WE REACHED THE TOP OF THE CLOUDS AND IN VFR CONDITIONS; WE CANCELED THE IFR CLRNC WHILE WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT JUST HAS HAPPENED. ATC TOLD US THEN TO KEEP TO VFR AND FLYING TO W HDG. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE TURN COORDINATOR STOPPED WORKING AND THE HDG INDICATOR KNOB GOT STUCK IMPEDING THE HDG INDICATOR TO WORK PROPERLY. THE TURN COORDINATOR WAS COVERED AND WE FLEW FOR SOME MINS UNTIL WE WERE SURE THE HDG INDICATOR WAS WORKING PROPERLY ALONG WITH ALL THE REST OF THE INSTS.

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.