Narrative:

I departed vandenberg, tampa, fl (X16) runway 18 on an IFR flight plan. It was raining heavily. Tampa WX reported 13' of rain on that day. At approximately 150' AGL I noticed my HSI had failed. The compass card portion of the HSI was frozen in position. Upon notifying tpa departure on my lift off, I notified departure, 'be advised that my HSI has failed.' departure then instructed me to climb to 8000' per my flight plan. During the climb I experienced great difficulty maintaining a heading, because I only had use of my magnetic compass for that purpose. Departure then told me to verify what altitude I was leaving at 4100'. Departure then told me to notify them when I was established on a 90 degree heading. Departure then told me I was heading west. Later departure told me I was heading south. Departure then asked if I was RNAV equipped. Upon my answer of yes, departure asked me to fly direct to ocala, fl. I told departure I could not do that because my RNAV was coupled to my HSI and that instrument was not working. Upon reaching 8000', departure asked me what my heading was at that time. It was only then (approximately 15-20 mins into the flight) that departure asked me if I was navigation by my magnetic compass. Upon my confirmation, departure asked me if I wanted to return to tpa and land. I told departure, 'no, I wanted to fly north into better WX.' departure started giving me no gyro turns toward ocala, fl airport. Later ZJX continued the flight following and no gyro turns to ocala. The landing at ocala was in VFR WX and uneventful. Ocala avionics inspected my HSI and determined that the electrical portion of the HSI had failed. That portion was replaced the next day and I continued my trip. Mistakes made by tpa departure: failure to recognize the seriousness of my problem, asking me to continue on with my flight plan as if nothing were wrong, and, as an afterthought, I do not believe the controller realized exactly what was wrong with my airplane when I reported my HSI had failed. Mistakes made by me: failure to tell tpa departure that I was navigation by magnetic compass alone, failure to ask for no gyro turns toward better WX, and failure to decline departure's request to climb all the way up to 8000'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA LOST HSI AFTER TKOF IN IMC AND RECEIVED NO GYRO HEADINGS TO VMC ARPT.

Narrative: I DEPARTED VANDENBERG, TAMPA, FL (X16) RWY 18 ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. IT WAS RAINING HEAVILY. TAMPA WX RPTED 13' OF RAIN ON THAT DAY. AT APPROX 150' AGL I NOTICED MY HSI HAD FAILED. THE COMPASS CARD PORTION OF THE HSI WAS FROZEN IN POS. UPON NOTIFYING TPA DEP ON MY LIFT OFF, I NOTIFIED DEP, 'BE ADVISED THAT MY HSI HAS FAILED.' DEP THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO CLB TO 8000' PER MY FLT PLAN. DURING THE CLB I EXPERIENCED GREAT DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING A HDG, BECAUSE I ONLY HAD USE OF MY MAGNETIC COMPASS FOR THAT PURPOSE. DEP THEN TOLD ME TO VERIFY WHAT ALT I WAS LEAVING AT 4100'. DEP THEN TOLD ME TO NOTIFY THEM WHEN I WAS ESTABLISHED ON A 90 DEG HDG. DEP THEN TOLD ME I WAS HDG W. LATER DEP TOLD ME I WAS HDG S. DEP THEN ASKED IF I WAS RNAV EQUIPPED. UPON MY ANSWER OF YES, DEP ASKED ME TO FLY DIRECT TO OCALA, FL. I TOLD DEP I COULD NOT DO THAT BECAUSE MY RNAV WAS COUPLED TO MY HSI AND THAT INSTRUMENT WAS NOT WORKING. UPON REACHING 8000', DEP ASKED ME WHAT MY HDG WAS AT THAT TIME. IT WAS ONLY THEN (APPROX 15-20 MINS INTO THE FLT) THAT DEP ASKED ME IF I WAS NAV BY MY MAGNETIC COMPASS. UPON MY CONFIRMATION, DEP ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO RETURN TO TPA AND LAND. I TOLD DEP, 'NO, I WANTED TO FLY N INTO BETTER WX.' DEP STARTED GIVING ME NO GYRO TURNS TOWARD OCALA, FL ARPT. LATER ZJX CONTINUED THE FLT FOLLOWING AND NO GYRO TURNS TO OCALA. THE LNDG AT OCALA WAS IN VFR WX AND UNEVENTFUL. OCALA AVIONICS INSPECTED MY HSI AND DETERMINED THAT THE ELECTRICAL PORTION OF THE HSI HAD FAILED. THAT PORTION WAS REPLACED THE NEXT DAY AND I CONTINUED MY TRIP. MISTAKES MADE BY TPA DEP: FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE THE SERIOUSNESS OF MY PROB, ASKING ME TO CONTINUE ON WITH MY FLT PLAN AS IF NOTHING WERE WRONG, AND, AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT, I DO NOT BELIEVE THE CTLR REALIZED EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG WITH MY AIRPLANE WHEN I RPTED MY HSI HAD FAILED. MISTAKES MADE BY ME: FAILURE TO TELL TPA DEP THAT I WAS NAV BY MAGNETIC COMPASS ALONE, FAILURE TO ASK FOR NO GYRO TURNS TOWARD BETTER WX, AND FAILURE TO DECLINE DEP'S REQUEST TO CLB ALL THE WAY UP TO 8000'.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.