Narrative:

During this flight I experienced what I firmly believe to be my first encounter with spatial disorientation. This was my first flight into actual IMC solo. Because of the spatial disorientation; I was unable to fly to IFR standards during the approach and missed phases of flight. Prior to departure; obtained fuel and an updated briefing from FSS. Forecast for ZZZ called for decks at 4000 ft and higher with temporary scattered/broken layer at 1000 ft to 3000 ft. Light wind. Light rain was showing on the radar at the computer as the front was passing through the area. Freezing level at 8000 ft or higher. I felt that since I had flown in actual during my training and to a deck of 400 ft that a deck of 1000 ft or higher would be well above my minimums. I also knew that I had plenty of fuel and; if necessary; VFR conditions would be available a short distance north. I also felt that sooner or later I was going to have to get into actual IMC on my own. Tower had me fly for what I thought was an unusually long time with them and not on course. So; when I was finally turned over to approach; I had a ways to fly to get to the assigned radial. I didn't think that the GPS would fly the assigned clearance and would fly direct to zzzzz. Cleared to 6000 ft by TRACON and was in the clouds with light rain. Anticipating that I would get the ILS runway 20L; I loaded the localizer frequency and opened the plate. GPS in this airplane doesn't show ILS approachs. I was hand-flying and feeling fine -- not having too much difficulty maintaining altitude within less than 200 ft and my heading was within tolerance based upon my readouts (flight aware track doesn't look as straight as I thought it would though). Once in the ZZZ area; I was instructed to descend to 4000 ft and the sky cleared. I was told to expect the visual approach; I was being vectored to the approach; as expected. Sector was busy and I overheard other pilots being asked if they had 'airport in sight.' so I began to look for the airport too -- the GPS indicated I was approximately 16 mi to the northeast and I was able to see the lights of the highway system -- never did see the beacon; but thought I had the approximately location spotted. Upon descending to 3000 ft I went back in the clouds and was told to expect the ILS runway 20L. It was then that I began to experience bouts of spatial disorientation as I continued to hand fly -- a first time experience for me. I was not maintaining the aircraft to standard for altitude and was overcorrecting for heading. For the life of me I donT' know why I didn't just turn on the autoplt and have it fly the assigned heading; it would have made things so much easier and saved me until I could get my head back into the scan and get back in front of the airplane. After a few mins I was asked to keep my speed up and was cleared for the approach and handed off to tower. Very shortly thereafter; I received low altitude alert; asked by tower if I had the localizer captured; which I did not -- full scale deflection. Tower told me to climb to 3000 ft and turn to the northwest. Back on with TRACON; I began receiving vectors for another approach. It was during this period that I experienced the worst spatial disorientation. I was momentarily in steep turns and pegged rates of descent and/or high rates of climb -- pulling and pushing hard on the yoke. I was spending all of my attention on trying to maintain the scan and regain a somewhat steady control of the airplane. I realized my situation and knew that I had to save myself -- I felt like I knew what I should be doing in terms of maintaining a scan and getting the aircraft back under control; but I was amazed at how hard it seemed to be to keep it stable. Once again; engaging the autoplt never crossed my mind even though I had used the autoplt extensively on my previous 2 segments that day and on my flight over the weekend. Somehow I managed to get back close enough to be cleared for the approach again -- this time I kept the localizer until I broke out at about 2000 ft into the clear and acquired the runway lights. Although I proceeded to conclusion without further difficulty; I failed to use the printed checklist and use of the approach plate was minimal. I also should have turned off all external lights on the airplane as the strobes flashing in the clouds may have been a distraction. While the ATC controllers surely must have been concerned about me because of my erratic flying; they never asked if I was ok; nor did I ever think to tell them of my difficulties -- not much they could have done to stop my disorientation. So; I obviously did not have the level of scan that I needed to have and tension had me way over controling the airplane. I was also behind the plane and had mentally set aside the ILS as I had come to believe that I would be able to land visually. Disorientation and confusion set in quickly and it was a fight with myself to keep the plane under control. ATC could have asked if I was ok and suggested autoplt use. I should have advised ATC of my condition so that they could have offered help. I am going to get additional practice in with an instructor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NEWLY INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT SUFFERS SPATIAL DISORIENTATION DURING FIRST ACTUAL IMC FLIGHT.

Narrative: DURING THIS FLT I EXPERIENCED WHAT I FIRMLY BELIEVE TO BE MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT INTO ACTUAL IMC SOLO. BECAUSE OF THE SPATIAL DISORIENTATION; I WAS UNABLE TO FLY TO IFR STANDARDS DURING THE APCH AND MISSED PHASES OF FLT. PRIOR TO DEP; OBTAINED FUEL AND AN UPDATED BRIEFING FROM FSS. FORECAST FOR ZZZ CALLED FOR DECKS AT 4000 FT AND HIGHER WITH TEMPORARY SCATTERED/BROKEN LAYER AT 1000 FT TO 3000 FT. LIGHT WIND. LIGHT RAIN WAS SHOWING ON THE RADAR AT THE COMPUTER AS THE FRONT WAS PASSING THROUGH THE AREA. FREEZING LEVEL AT 8000 FT OR HIGHER. I FELT THAT SINCE I HAD FLOWN IN ACTUAL DURING MY TRAINING AND TO A DECK OF 400 FT THAT A DECK OF 1000 FT OR HIGHER WOULD BE WELL ABOVE MY MINIMUMS. I ALSO KNEW THAT I HAD PLENTY OF FUEL AND; IF NECESSARY; VFR CONDITIONS WOULD BE AVAILABLE A SHORT DISTANCE N. I ALSO FELT THAT SOONER OR LATER I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO GET INTO ACTUAL IMC ON MY OWN. TWR HAD ME FLY FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS AN UNUSUALLY LONG TIME WITH THEM AND NOT ON COURSE. SO; WHEN I WAS FINALLY TURNED OVER TO APCH; I HAD A WAYS TO FLY TO GET TO THE ASSIGNED RADIAL. I DIDN'T THINK THAT THE GPS WOULD FLY THE ASSIGNED CLRNC AND WOULD FLY DIRECT TO ZZZZZ. CLRED TO 6000 FT BY TRACON AND WAS IN THE CLOUDS WITH LIGHT RAIN. ANTICIPATING THAT I WOULD GET THE ILS RWY 20L; I LOADED THE LOC FREQ AND OPENED THE PLATE. GPS IN THIS AIRPLANE DOESN'T SHOW ILS APCHS. I WAS HAND-FLYING AND FEELING FINE -- NOT HAVING TOO MUCH DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING ALT WITHIN LESS THAN 200 FT AND MY HDG WAS WITHIN TOLERANCE BASED UPON MY READOUTS (FLT AWARE TRACK DOESN'T LOOK AS STRAIGHT AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD THOUGH). ONCE IN THE ZZZ AREA; I WAS INSTRUCTED TO DSND TO 4000 FT AND THE SKY CLRED. I WAS TOLD TO EXPECT THE VISUAL APCH; I WAS BEING VECTORED TO THE APCH; AS EXPECTED. SECTOR WAS BUSY AND I OVERHEARD OTHER PLTS BEING ASKED IF THEY HAD 'ARPT IN SIGHT.' SO I BEGAN TO LOOK FOR THE ARPT TOO -- THE GPS INDICATED I WAS APPROX 16 MI TO THE NE AND I WAS ABLE TO SEE THE LIGHTS OF THE HWY SYS -- NEVER DID SEE THE BEACON; BUT THOUGHT I HAD THE APPROX LOCATION SPOTTED. UPON DSNDING TO 3000 FT I WENT BACK IN THE CLOUDS AND WAS TOLD TO EXPECT THE ILS RWY 20L. IT WAS THEN THAT I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE BOUTS OF SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AS I CONTINUED TO HAND FLY -- A FIRST TIME EXPERIENCE FOR ME. I WAS NOT MAINTAINING THE ACFT TO STANDARD FOR ALT AND WAS OVERCORRECTING FOR HDG. FOR THE LIFE OF ME I DONT' KNOW WHY I DIDN'T JUST TURN ON THE AUTOPLT AND HAVE IT FLY THE ASSIGNED HDG; IT WOULD HAVE MADE THINGS SO MUCH EASIER AND SAVED ME UNTIL I COULD GET MY HEAD BACK INTO THE SCAN AND GET BACK IN FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE. AFTER A FEW MINS I WAS ASKED TO KEEP MY SPD UP AND WAS CLRED FOR THE APCH AND HANDED OFF TO TWR. VERY SHORTLY THEREAFTER; I RECEIVED LOW ALT ALERT; ASKED BY TWR IF I HAD THE LOC CAPTURED; WHICH I DID NOT -- FULL SCALE DEFLECTION. TWR TOLD ME TO CLB TO 3000 FT AND TURN TO THE NW. BACK ON WITH TRACON; I BEGAN RECEIVING VECTORS FOR ANOTHER APCH. IT WAS DURING THIS PERIOD THAT I EXPERIENCED THE WORST SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. I WAS MOMENTARILY IN STEEP TURNS AND PEGGED RATES OF DSCNT AND/OR HIGH RATES OF CLB -- PULLING AND PUSHING HARD ON THE YOKE. I WAS SPENDING ALL OF MY ATTN ON TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE SCAN AND REGAIN A SOMEWHAT STEADY CTL OF THE AIRPLANE. I REALIZED MY SITUATION AND KNEW THAT I HAD TO SAVE MYSELF -- I FELT LIKE I KNEW WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING IN TERMS OF MAINTAINING A SCAN AND GETTING THE ACFT BACK UNDER CTL; BUT I WAS AMAZED AT HOW HARD IT SEEMED TO BE TO KEEP IT STABLE. ONCE AGAIN; ENGAGING THE AUTOPLT NEVER CROSSED MY MIND EVEN THOUGH I HAD USED THE AUTOPLT EXTENSIVELY ON MY PREVIOUS 2 SEGMENTS THAT DAY AND ON MY FLT OVER THE WEEKEND. SOMEHOW I MANAGED TO GET BACK CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE CLRED FOR THE APCH AGAIN -- THIS TIME I KEPT THE LOC UNTIL I BROKE OUT AT ABOUT 2000 FT INTO THE CLR AND ACQUIRED THE RWY LIGHTS. ALTHOUGH I PROCEEDED TO CONCLUSION WITHOUT FURTHER DIFFICULTY; I FAILED TO USE THE PRINTED CHKLIST AND USE OF THE APCH PLATE WAS MINIMAL. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE TURNED OFF ALL EXTERNAL LIGHTS ON THE AIRPLANE AS THE STROBES FLASHING IN THE CLOUDS MAY HAVE BEEN A DISTR. WHILE THE ATC CTLRS SURELY MUST HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT ME BECAUSE OF MY ERRATIC FLYING; THEY NEVER ASKED IF I WAS OK; NOR DID I EVER THINK TO TELL THEM OF MY DIFFICULTIES -- NOT MUCH THEY COULD HAVE DONE TO STOP MY DISORIENTATION. SO; I OBVIOUSLY DID NOT HAVE THE LEVEL OF SCAN THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE AND TENSION HAD ME WAY OVER CTLING THE AIRPLANE. I WAS ALSO BEHIND THE PLANE AND HAD MENTALLY SET ASIDE THE ILS AS I HAD COME TO BELIEVE THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO LAND VISUALLY. DISORIENTATION AND CONFUSION SET IN QUICKLY AND IT WAS A FIGHT WITH MYSELF TO KEEP THE PLANE UNDER CTL. ATC COULD HAVE ASKED IF I WAS OK AND SUGGESTED AUTOPLT USE. I SHOULD HAVE ADVISED ATC OF MY CONDITION SO THAT THEY COULD HAVE OFFERED HELP. I AM GOING TO GET ADDITIONAL PRACTICE IN WITH AN INSTRUCTOR.

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.