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MU2 pilot reports loss of situational awareness after takeoff from sna at night in IMC employing noise abatement procedures. The reporter found himself in a turn and descending through 800 ft before correcting and being issued a vector by ATC. Lack of recent night IMC experience and familiarity with the aircraft were cited as factors.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1013943 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201206 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801-2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | SNA.Airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | MU-2 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | Initial Climb |
| Route In Use | SID MUSEL SIX |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Pilot Flying |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Commercial Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 20 Flight Crew Total 2500 Flight Crew Type 250 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Track / Heading All Types Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT |
Narrative:
After takeoff; beginning the SID I was too focused on noise abatement and failed to climb as I wanted. Then I just lost situational awareness of the SID and was not 'in the game.' I found myself at a 20 degree bank and now descending. Corrected and went to engage the autopilot; but this plane has some lights on the MCP not working right and my confusion got worse. Leveled wings and returned to a climb. Tower asked my altitude; gave me a vector (which helped); and I began to collect myself; but I was low on sa. It all worked out; but was embarrassing.marginally night current with just 4 landings at night and only a few night hours recently. Second flight in this particular airframe (they all have little idiosyncrasies). Squawks; I didn't realize until later (mode control panel lights). Nervous (about the passenger; the dp; the airplane).address the squawks immediately. More familiarity with this airframe / GPS combo. More time under hood; tired; at night when I am normally at home in bed.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MU2 pilot reports loss of situational awareness after takeoff from SNA at night in IMC employing noise abatement procedures. The reporter found himself in a turn and descending through 800 FT before correcting and being issued a vector by ATC. Lack of recent night IMC experience and familiarity with the aircraft were cited as factors.
Narrative: After takeoff; beginning the SID I was too focused on noise abatement and failed to climb as I wanted. Then I just lost Situational Awareness of the SID and was not 'in the game.' I found myself at a 20 degree bank and now descending. Corrected and went to engage the autopilot; but this plane has some lights on the MCP not working right and my confusion got worse. Leveled wings and returned to a climb. Tower asked my altitude; gave me a vector (which helped); and I began to collect myself; but I was low on SA. It all worked out; but was embarrassing.Marginally night current with just 4 landings at night and only a few night hours recently. Second flight in this particular airframe (they all have little idiosyncrasies). Squawks; I didn't realize until later (Mode Control Panel lights). Nervous (about the passenger; the DP; the airplane).Address the squawks immediately. More familiarity with this airframe / GPS combo. More time under hood; tired; at night when I am normally at home in bed.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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.