Narrative:

Yesterday's student is a non current private pilot working on regaining currency after not flying for several yrs. We spent a lot of time getting VFR skills back and have spent a lot of time working on IFR skills; some that were never learned. The student completed a progress check with the chief instructor the day before and passed; but only for IFR normal operations. While we have worked on some emergency situations; they were not our focus. Yesterday's flight was in and out of the clouds for multiple approachs as a large WX system moved through the state. Our departure airport was VFR with a 4000 ft ceiling; enough room for some of my solo student pilots to play in the traffic pattern; but not go anywhere. On radar vectors to final for the ILS; we were out of the clouds and I had the student under the hood. On an intermediate vector; I dimmed the pfd to simulate a pfd failure. As the student looked down; he immediately rolled us into a diving left turn; despite my hand going just as fast on the stick to stop him and the other chopping power; and my stating firmly 'let go of the yoke [stick].' he didn't. 'You are in an unusual attitude; recover.' he didn't. I stated 'my airplane' twice before he finally released the controls and I could start the recovery. On the dive we had entered the clouds and also lost considerable altitude; with the garmin terrain and honeywell taws activating. Great; with the student's help; I'd just given myself a partial panel unusual attitude recovery in the clouds. Just as we had started the dive; the controller had told us something. As we started climbing back to our assigned altitude; I un-dimmed the pfd and asked the controller; 'say again; we were recovering from an equipment failure.' the controller didn't mention our heading or altitude bust; and gave us the final vector cleared for the approach; and contact tower. We landed; discussed what had happened and what the appropriate actions were; then went out and did another approach; this time the student had his hands off of the yoke before I dimmed the pfd and I was ready to block his grab for them. We had covered unusual attitude recoveries earlier in the student's training; but we will be revisiting that topic again. I'm not certain I could have prevented the dive as the student is much stronger than me. I did see it happening; but just couldn't move fast enough. After the flight; the student went home happy; he felt like he'd learned a great lesson. I waited till my knees stopped knocking; then went home. That was too close.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SR22 INST STUDENT ENTERS IMC UNUSUAL ATTITUDE AFTER SIMULATED PFD FAILURE.

Narrative: YESTERDAY'S STUDENT IS A NON CURRENT PVT PLT WORKING ON REGAINING CURRENCY AFTER NOT FLYING FOR SEVERAL YRS. WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME GETTING VFR SKILLS BACK AND HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WORKING ON IFR SKILLS; SOME THAT WERE NEVER LEARNED. THE STUDENT COMPLETED A PROGRESS CHK WITH THE CHIEF INSTRUCTOR THE DAY BEFORE AND PASSED; BUT ONLY FOR IFR NORMAL OPS. WHILE WE HAVE WORKED ON SOME EMER SITUATIONS; THEY WERE NOT OUR FOCUS. YESTERDAY'S FLT WAS IN AND OUT OF THE CLOUDS FOR MULTIPLE APCHS AS A LARGE WX SYS MOVED THROUGH THE STATE. OUR DEP ARPT WAS VFR WITH A 4000 FT CEILING; ENOUGH ROOM FOR SOME OF MY SOLO STUDENT PLTS TO PLAY IN THE TFC PATTERN; BUT NOT GO ANYWHERE. ON RADAR VECTORS TO FINAL FOR THE ILS; WE WERE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND I HAD THE STUDENT UNDER THE HOOD. ON AN INTERMEDIATE VECTOR; I DIMMED THE PFD TO SIMULATE A PFD FAILURE. AS THE STUDENT LOOKED DOWN; HE IMMEDIATELY ROLLED US INTO A DIVING L TURN; DESPITE MY HAND GOING JUST AS FAST ON THE STICK TO STOP HIM AND THE OTHER CHOPPING PWR; AND MY STATING FIRMLY 'LET GO OF THE YOKE [STICK].' HE DIDN'T. 'YOU ARE IN AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE; RECOVER.' HE DIDN'T. I STATED 'MY AIRPLANE' TWICE BEFORE HE FINALLY RELEASED THE CTLS AND I COULD START THE RECOVERY. ON THE DIVE WE HAD ENTERED THE CLOUDS AND ALSO LOST CONSIDERABLE ALT; WITH THE GARMIN TERRAIN AND HONEYWELL TAWS ACTIVATING. GREAT; WITH THE STUDENT'S HELP; I'D JUST GIVEN MYSELF A PARTIAL PANEL UNUSUAL ATTITUDE RECOVERY IN THE CLOUDS. JUST AS WE HAD STARTED THE DIVE; THE CTLR HAD TOLD US SOMETHING. AS WE STARTED CLBING BACK TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT; I UN-DIMMED THE PFD AND ASKED THE CTLR; 'SAY AGAIN; WE WERE RECOVERING FROM AN EQUIP FAILURE.' THE CTLR DIDN'T MENTION OUR HDG OR ALT BUST; AND GAVE US THE FINAL VECTOR CLRED FOR THE APCH; AND CONTACT TWR. WE LANDED; DISCUSSED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND WHAT THE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS WERE; THEN WENT OUT AND DID ANOTHER APCH; THIS TIME THE STUDENT HAD HIS HANDS OFF OF THE YOKE BEFORE I DIMMED THE PFD AND I WAS READY TO BLOCK HIS GRAB FOR THEM. WE HAD COVERED UNUSUAL ATTITUDE RECOVERIES EARLIER IN THE STUDENT'S TRAINING; BUT WE WILL BE REVISITING THAT TOPIC AGAIN. I'M NOT CERTAIN I COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE DIVE AS THE STUDENT IS MUCH STRONGER THAN ME. I DID SEE IT HAPPENING; BUT JUST COULDN'T MOVE FAST ENOUGH. AFTER THE FLT; THE STUDENT WENT HOME HAPPY; HE FELT LIKE HE'D LEARNED A GREAT LESSON. I WAITED TILL MY KNEES STOPPED KNOCKING; THEN WENT HOME. THAT WAS TOO CLOSE.

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.