Narrative:

I was on a training flight with a student working on his instrument instructor rating. The student and I are good friends and used to be roommates. This friendship had a part in the incident due to my reluctance to point out any mistakes on his part. We were on a local IFR clearance for holding and approachs at mlb. We were cleared direct to mlb VOR for holding. After the turn to the VOR, the student performed a directional gyroscope to magnetic compass check. The student had not flown in IMC conditions for some time and his instrument scan left a lot to be desired. His altitude was plus or minus 200 ft at times. Unfortunately, after the directional gyroscope check, the adjustment knob got stuck in and the directional gyroscope was freely turning. The subsequent turning to catch headings, fiddling with the VOR, and the constant climbs and dscnts had us both disoriented. A dangerous situation in IMC. I eventually realized the problem with the directional gyroscope after checking the magnetic compass. We were almost 180 degrees off our original heading. I took the aircraft from the student, contacted patrick approach and notified them of the problem and asked for a vector. We fixed the directional gyroscope and continued the flight with no other problems. This flight has been an important experience in that I should have been more wary of an aircraft I had never flown in before and should definitely not have been so lenient on a student because we are good friends. Fortunately, patrick approach did not seem too upset with us (which is surprising because it was busy) and they were very helpful to get us back on course.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRAINEE PLT BECAME DISORIENTED IN IMC. INSTRUCTOR PLT BECAME ORIENTED, TOOK CTL OF ACFT AND RECEIVED VECTORS TO COURSE FROM APCH.

Narrative: I WAS ON A TRAINING FLT WITH A STUDENT WORKING ON HIS INST INSTRUCTOR RATING. THE STUDENT AND I ARE GOOD FRIENDS AND USED TO BE ROOMMATES. THIS FRIENDSHIP HAD A PART IN THE INCIDENT DUE TO MY RELUCTANCE TO POINT OUT ANY MISTAKES ON HIS PART. WE WERE ON A LCL IFR CLRNC FOR HOLDING AND APCHS AT MLB. WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO MLB VOR FOR HOLDING. AFTER THE TURN TO THE VOR, THE STUDENT PERFORMED A DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE TO MAGNETIC COMPASS CHK. THE STUDENT HAD NOT FLOWN IN IMC CONDITIONS FOR SOME TIME AND HIS INST SCAN LEFT A LOT TO BE DESIRED. HIS ALT WAS PLUS OR MINUS 200 FT AT TIMES. UNFORTUNATELY, AFTER THE DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE CHK, THE ADJUSTMENT KNOB GOT STUCK IN AND THE DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE WAS FREELY TURNING. THE SUBSEQUENT TURNING TO CATCH HDGS, FIDDLING WITH THE VOR, AND THE CONSTANT CLBS AND DSCNTS HAD US BOTH DISORIENTED. A DANGEROUS SIT IN IMC. I EVENTUALLY REALIZED THE PROB WITH THE DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE AFTER CHKING THE MAGNETIC COMPASS. WE WERE ALMOST 180 DEGS OFF OUR ORIGINAL HDG. I TOOK THE ACFT FROM THE STUDENT, CONTACTED PATRICK APCH AND NOTIFIED THEM OF THE PROB AND ASKED FOR A VECTOR. WE FIXED THE DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE AND CONTINUED THE FLT WITH NO OTHER PROBS. THIS FLT HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT EXPERIENCE IN THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE WARY OF AN ACFT I HAD NEVER FLOWN IN BEFORE AND SHOULD DEFINITELY NOT HAVE BEEN SO LENIENT ON A STUDENT BECAUSE WE ARE GOOD FRIENDS. FORTUNATELY, PATRICK APCH DID NOT SEEM TOO UPSET WITH US (WHICH IS SURPRISING BECAUSE IT WAS BUSY) AND THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL TO GET US BACK ON COURSE.

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