Narrative:

While on approach to runway 10L in IMC; I was vectored to 4 mi within the ILS to runway 10L and instructed to contact tower when established. I had 2 CDI's set; and a moving map on an MX20. As the secondary CDI began to move showing I was becoming established; I punched up the tower frequency. Then I noticed the principal CDI was not acting properly. I double-checked and triple-checked frequencys and other settings to see why this was occurring. As I did so; I must have drifted back north off the approach course; but did not notice this. Tower called asking if I was on frequency and when I responded in the affirmative; tower said they were showing me north of course. One CDI showed this; but I realized I could not trust my principal CDI; though I did not know why. The moving map confirmed I was north; but I was confused and concerned by the conflict in the principal CDI which I realized was not working. I realized I was being confused by the CDI that was not confirming my position; so I told tower I'd like to go around. Tower instructed me to climb to 2000 ft (as I recall and fly runway heading) and then to go back to my previous assigned frequency. Upon punching up approach; I heard my go around was causing trouble and they'd been trying to contact me when I was on tower frequency. When I established radio communication; approach began to vector me for a go around. However; I began to have trouble controling my aircraft. I could not get it to climb under autoplt; and I began to become disoriented and had trouble holding a steady climb or heading when hand-flying. To gain control I would level the wings; which put me out of compliance with ATC instructions. ATC issued new instructions; and when I tried to comply with those; the aircraft became difficult to control. I thought autoplt was still on; and when I would punch it off; I still had a hard time controling climbs. The yoke was heavy; and if I backed off on pressure; it would dive; then I'd have to pull back it; it would climb too fast. The trim wheel seemed unresponsive and I realized I was becoming increasingly disoriented and causing trouble for ATC. Finally I managed to calm myself and fly the airplane on an altitude and heading and to comply with instructions to rejoin the ILS. During the go around; after I had regained control of myself and the aircraft; I realized my error in setting up the principal CDI (button on GPS not set to vloc but to GPS instead) and flew a successful ILS. My failure to correctly select this on the first approach was the beginning of several errors. Punching up the tower before I was fully established is another. I let myself become distraction by the first two; which shook my confidence and then my skills and paralyzed my ability to properly follow ATC instructions and fly the proper heading and altitude. While I knew this was happening; I seemed unable to control the aircraft properly; but was intent on not losing control in IMC and continued to focus on trying to regain my composure and apply my training to doing the task. Finally; when I realized the error on the vloc/GPS button; I regained my confidence and continued to fly the aircraft. Although IFR current; I have not flown IMC for some time; and this I think contributed to my inability to properly follow ATC instruction. I realize how easy it is to become disoriented in IMC; even after flying IFR for practice and during IMC with much higher ceilings.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C340 PLT EXECUTED GO-AROUND AFTER FAILING TO TRACK LOC. DURING THE MANEUVER; THE PLT BECAME DISORIENTED; BUT WAS ABLE TO REGAIN COMPOSURE; PROPERLY TUNE LOC; AND COMPLETE THE APCH.

Narrative: WHILE ON APCH TO RWY 10L IN IMC; I WAS VECTORED TO 4 MI WITHIN THE ILS TO RWY 10L AND INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT TWR WHEN ESTABLISHED. I HAD 2 CDI'S SET; AND A MOVING MAP ON AN MX20. AS THE SECONDARY CDI BEGAN TO MOVE SHOWING I WAS BECOMING ESTABLISHED; I PUNCHED UP THE TWR FREQ. THEN I NOTICED THE PRINCIPAL CDI WAS NOT ACTING PROPERLY. I DOUBLE-CHKED AND TRIPLE-CHKED FREQS AND OTHER SETTINGS TO SEE WHY THIS WAS OCCURRING. AS I DID SO; I MUST HAVE DRIFTED BACK N OFF THE APCH COURSE; BUT DID NOT NOTICE THIS. TWR CALLED ASKING IF I WAS ON FREQ AND WHEN I RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE; TWR SAID THEY WERE SHOWING ME N OF COURSE. ONE CDI SHOWED THIS; BUT I REALIZED I COULD NOT TRUST MY PRINCIPAL CDI; THOUGH I DID NOT KNOW WHY. THE MOVING MAP CONFIRMED I WAS N; BUT I WAS CONFUSED AND CONCERNED BY THE CONFLICT IN THE PRINCIPAL CDI WHICH I REALIZED WAS NOT WORKING. I REALIZED I WAS BEING CONFUSED BY THE CDI THAT WAS NOT CONFIRMING MY POS; SO I TOLD TWR I'D LIKE TO GAR. TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO CLB TO 2000 FT (AS I RECALL AND FLY RWY HDG) AND THEN TO GO BACK TO MY PREVIOUS ASSIGNED FREQ. UPON PUNCHING UP APCH; I HEARD MY GAR WAS CAUSING TROUBLE AND THEY'D BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT ME WHEN I WAS ON TWR FREQ. WHEN I ESTABLISHED RADIO COM; APCH BEGAN TO VECTOR ME FOR A GAR. HOWEVER; I BEGAN TO HAVE TROUBLE CTLING MY ACFT. I COULD NOT GET IT TO CLB UNDER AUTOPLT; AND I BEGAN TO BECOME DISORIENTED AND HAD TROUBLE HOLDING A STEADY CLB OR HDG WHEN HAND-FLYING. TO GAIN CTL I WOULD LEVEL THE WINGS; WHICH PUT ME OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH ATC INSTRUCTIONS. ATC ISSUED NEW INSTRUCTIONS; AND WHEN I TRIED TO COMPLY WITH THOSE; THE ACFT BECAME DIFFICULT TO CTL. I THOUGHT AUTOPLT WAS STILL ON; AND WHEN I WOULD PUNCH IT OFF; I STILL HAD A HARD TIME CTLING CLBS. THE YOKE WAS HVY; AND IF I BACKED OFF ON PRESSURE; IT WOULD DIVE; THEN I'D HAVE TO PULL BACK IT; IT WOULD CLB TOO FAST. THE TRIM WHEEL SEEMED UNRESPONSIVE AND I REALIZED I WAS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DISORIENTED AND CAUSING TROUBLE FOR ATC. FINALLY I MANAGED TO CALM MYSELF AND FLY THE AIRPLANE ON AN ALT AND HDG AND TO COMPLY WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO REJOIN THE ILS. DURING THE GAR; AFTER I HAD REGAINED CTL OF MYSELF AND THE ACFT; I REALIZED MY ERROR IN SETTING UP THE PRINCIPAL CDI (BUTTON ON GPS NOT SET TO VLOC BUT TO GPS INSTEAD) AND FLEW A SUCCESSFUL ILS. MY FAILURE TO CORRECTLY SELECT THIS ON THE FIRST APCH WAS THE BEGINNING OF SEVERAL ERRORS. PUNCHING UP THE TWR BEFORE I WAS FULLY ESTABLISHED IS ANOTHER. I LET MYSELF BECOME DISTR BY THE FIRST TWO; WHICH SHOOK MY CONFIDENCE AND THEN MY SKILLS AND PARALYZED MY ABILITY TO PROPERLY FOLLOW ATC INSTRUCTIONS AND FLY THE PROPER HDG AND ALT. WHILE I KNEW THIS WAS HAPPENING; I SEEMED UNABLE TO CTL THE ACFT PROPERLY; BUT WAS INTENT ON NOT LOSING CTL IN IMC AND CONTINUED TO FOCUS ON TRYING TO REGAIN MY COMPOSURE AND APPLY MY TRAINING TO DOING THE TASK. FINALLY; WHEN I REALIZED THE ERROR ON THE VLOC/GPS BUTTON; I REGAINED MY CONFIDENCE AND CONTINUED TO FLY THE ACFT. ALTHOUGH IFR CURRENT; I HAVE NOT FLOWN IMC FOR SOME TIME; AND THIS I THINK CONTRIBUTED TO MY INABILITY TO PROPERLY FOLLOW ATC INSTRUCTION. I REALIZE HOW EASY IT IS TO BECOME DISORIENTED IN IMC; EVEN AFTER FLYING IFR FOR PRACTICE AND DURING IMC WITH MUCH HIGHER CEILINGS.

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.