Narrative:

We arrived in fort lauderdale to meet up with a friend. Once in the aztec; we had trouble getting started because the right side of the engine starter went bad. That got replaced the same night and we decided; as a group; to head out early the next morning. After we got airborne; we encountered some radio problems but nothing major. All went good until later that evening when we first noticed that the left alternator wasn't working; but the right one was in working order. We had no dashboard lighting; and the heating system was not working as well; so the night was cold and the lighting to the instruments was provided by our headsets on the forehead! I passed the controls over to the copilot so that I could take a break and try to get some warmth throughout the body. After about 5 mins; the copilot stated to me that she was having a problem with the artificial horizon and asked if I would take a look at it. After slightly moving the controls up/down and left/right; I thought it best to just keep an eye out for the suction indicator and anything definitive with the artificial horizon. I had taken back the controls of the aircraft and was keeping my wings level by using the artificial horizon and the older model turn indicator which on this airplane is driven by the vacuum system (which I didn't know at the time!). We were using the GPS to navigation to our destination and I noticed that our ETA was approximately 2 hours away. 20 mins later; I look at the time to destination and it stated exactly 2 hours. I mention this to the crew and we came to the conclusion that it was the 40 mph headwind that was impeding our progress. A few seconds later we lost the vacuum system; the artificial horizon; and turn indicator. I turned to the compass for directional control and somehow we got into a spin and dropped from 10500 ft to approximately 1800 ft in a matter of mins. During this freefall; the emergency window exit glass came free of the aircraft. A passenger was given me instructions on what to do in order to recover from the spin and get control of the airplane! I wasn't successful at getting out of the spin and somehow the passenger was able to get into the co-pilot's seat and took over the controls at that point. We broke through at 1800 ft and landed safely. In the future; I will -- without question -- not ignore the telltale signs of our situation: 1) starting with the artificial horizon which movements were slow. 2) the compass/directional gyro were matching up; but I should have paid more attention to any heading changes? 3) turn indicator was not electrically driven and I should have been aware of that!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE UNRESOLVED AND IGNORED ELECTRICAL AND VACUUM SYSTEM ANOMALIES RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF PA23. ACFT LOSES NEARLY 9000 FT IN A SPIN BEFORE RECOVERY IS ACCOMPLISHED BY PAX WHO GAINED ACCESS TO THE CO-PILOT'S SEAT FROM THE REAR SEATS.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED IN FORT LAUDERDALE TO MEET UP WITH A FRIEND. ONCE IN THE AZTEC; WE HAD TROUBLE GETTING STARTED BECAUSE THE R SIDE OF THE ENG STARTER WENT BAD. THAT GOT REPLACED THE SAME NIGHT AND WE DECIDED; AS A GROUP; TO HEAD OUT EARLY THE NEXT MORNING. AFTER WE GOT AIRBORNE; WE ENCOUNTERED SOME RADIO PROBS BUT NOTHING MAJOR. ALL WENT GOOD UNTIL LATER THAT EVENING WHEN WE FIRST NOTICED THAT THE L ALTERNATOR WASN'T WORKING; BUT THE R ONE WAS IN WORKING ORDER. WE HAD NO DASHBOARD LIGHTING; AND THE HEATING SYS WAS NOT WORKING AS WELL; SO THE NIGHT WAS COLD AND THE LIGHTING TO THE INSTS WAS PROVIDED BY OUR HEADSETS ON THE FOREHEAD! I PASSED THE CTLS OVER TO THE COPLT SO THAT I COULD TAKE A BREAK AND TRY TO GET SOME WARMTH THROUGHOUT THE BODY. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINS; THE COPLT STATED TO ME THAT SHE WAS HAVING A PROB WITH THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON AND ASKED IF I WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT. AFTER SLIGHTLY MOVING THE CTLS UP/DOWN AND L/R; I THOUGHT IT BEST TO JUST KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE SUCTION INDICATOR AND ANYTHING DEFINITIVE WITH THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON. I HAD TAKEN BACK THE CTLS OF THE ACFT AND WAS KEEPING MY WINGS LEVEL BY USING THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON AND THE OLDER MODEL TURN INDICATOR WHICH ON THIS AIRPLANE IS DRIVEN BY THE VACUUM SYS (WHICH I DIDN'T KNOW AT THE TIME!). WE WERE USING THE GPS TO NAV TO OUR DEST AND I NOTICED THAT OUR ETA WAS APPROX 2 HRS AWAY. 20 MINS LATER; I LOOK AT THE TIME TO DEST AND IT STATED EXACTLY 2 HRS. I MENTION THIS TO THE CREW AND WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IT WAS THE 40 MPH HEADWIND THAT WAS IMPEDING OUR PROGRESS. A FEW SECONDS LATER WE LOST THE VACUUM SYS; THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON; AND TURN INDICATOR. I TURNED TO THE COMPASS FOR DIRECTIONAL CTL AND SOMEHOW WE GOT INTO A SPIN AND DROPPED FROM 10500 FT TO APPROX 1800 FT IN A MATTER OF MINS. DURING THIS FREEFALL; THE EMER WINDOW EXIT GLASS CAME FREE OF THE ACFT. A PAX WAS GIVEN ME INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT TO DO IN ORDER TO RECOVER FROM THE SPIN AND GET CTL OF THE AIRPLANE! I WASN'T SUCCESSFUL AT GETTING OUT OF THE SPIN AND SOMEHOW THE PAX WAS ABLE TO GET INTO THE CO-PLT'S SEAT AND TOOK OVER THE CTLS AT THAT POINT. WE BROKE THROUGH AT 1800 FT AND LANDED SAFELY. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL -- WITHOUT QUESTION -- NOT IGNORE THE TELLTALE SIGNS OF OUR SITUATION: 1) STARTING WITH THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON WHICH MOVEMENTS WERE SLOW. 2) THE COMPASS/DIRECTIONAL GYRO WERE MATCHING UP; BUT I SHOULD HAVE PAID MORE ATTN TO ANY HDG CHANGES? 3) TURN INDICATOR WAS NOT ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN AND I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THAT!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.