After missing several clearance requirements, distraction, disoriented pilot manages to recover from...

Attributes
ACN	425706
Time
Date	199901
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : smo
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 23 flight time total : 1463 flight time type : 1254
ASRS Report	425706
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 500 vertical : 2000
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

For mechanical reasons, had not flown for almost 4 weeks -- rusty. Given an unexpected departure clearance. Questioned and determined tower had the wrong aircraft type turboprop versus piston. Clearance was revised -- distraction. Takeoff clearance came very soon after revised takeoff clearance -- rushed. Smooth takeoff. Switched to departure frequency, made call, no response. Then realized I did not set transponder to departure clearance. I entered transponder frequency while IMC in fog -- distraction. Departure clearance required a right turn after crossing a radial. Was late making the turn. Called clearance again after changing transponder. Before clearance responded to me, told another aircraft to make an immediate turn. I fear (correctly) that my code just popped up. I flew out of fog and saw aircraft ahead and above. ATC acknowledged my call and I told them I had traffic in sight. ATC gave me vector and asked that I maintain visual contact. Then ATC told me I missed the clearance required turn. While watching traffic in dark and at cloud top, I lost orientation and inadvertently initiated a right spiral descent, 40 degree bank, into clouds. I told ATC I was IMC, then noticed attitude and recovered. Remainder of flight was uneventful. Being rusty and distraction, I missed checklist item 'transponder.' when ATC initially didn't respond, I realized this, but changing setting and hearing ATC giving another aircraft clearance to the same VOR I expected to go to distraction me and I crossed the radial without turning. Situational awareness was pretty good in that I realized a potential traffic problem. Finally, distraction from attempts to keep traffic in sight and from being chewed out by ATC, and no visual attitude, spatial disorientation and visual attitude. Suggestion for me: better checklist use, don't be distraction from flying -- even by ATC. Suggestion for ATC: hold criticism until well after an incident to avoid further distraction.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER MISSING SEVERAL CLRNC REQUIREMENTS, DISTR, DISORIENTED PLT MANAGES TO RECOVER FROM DSNDING SPIRALING TURN NEAR SMO IN SMT ACFT.

Narrative: FOR MECHANICAL REASONS, HAD NOT FLOWN FOR ALMOST 4 WKS -- RUSTY. GIVEN AN UNEXPECTED DEP CLRNC. QUESTIONED AND DETERMINED TWR HAD THE WRONG ACFT TYPE TURBOPROP VERSUS PISTON. CLRNC WAS REVISED -- DISTR. TKOF CLRNC CAME VERY SOON AFTER REVISED TKOF CLRNC -- RUSHED. SMOOTH TKOF. SWITCHED TO DEP FREQ, MADE CALL, NO RESPONSE. THEN REALIZED I DID NOT SET XPONDER TO DEP CLRNC. I ENTERED XPONDER FREQ WHILE IMC IN FOG -- DISTR. DEP CLRNC REQUIRED A R TURN AFTER XING A RADIAL. WAS LATE MAKING THE TURN. CALLED CLRNC AGAIN AFTER CHANGING XPONDER. BEFORE CLRNC RESPONDED TO ME, TOLD ANOTHER ACFT TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TURN. I FEAR (CORRECTLY) THAT MY CODE JUST POPPED UP. I FLEW OUT OF FOG AND SAW ACFT AHEAD AND ABOVE. ATC ACKNOWLEDGED MY CALL AND I TOLD THEM I HAD TFC IN SIGHT. ATC GAVE ME VECTOR AND ASKED THAT I MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT. THEN ATC TOLD ME I MISSED THE CLRNC REQUIRED TURN. WHILE WATCHING TFC IN DARK AND AT CLOUD TOP, I LOST ORIENTATION AND INADVERTENTLY INITIATED A R SPIRAL DSCNT, 40 DEG BANK, INTO CLOUDS. I TOLD ATC I WAS IMC, THEN NOTICED ATTITUDE AND RECOVERED. REMAINDER OF FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. BEING RUSTY AND DISTR, I MISSED CHKLIST ITEM 'XPONDER.' WHEN ATC INITIALLY DIDN'T RESPOND, I REALIZED THIS, BUT CHANGING SETTING AND HEARING ATC GIVING ANOTHER ACFT CLRNC TO THE SAME VOR I EXPECTED TO GO TO DISTR ME AND I CROSSED THE RADIAL WITHOUT TURNING. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WAS PRETTY GOOD IN THAT I REALIZED A POTENTIAL TFC PROB. FINALLY, DISTR FROM ATTEMPTS TO KEEP TFC IN SIGHT AND FROM BEING CHEWED OUT BY ATC, AND NO VISUAL ATTITUDE, SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND VISUAL ATTITUDE. SUGGESTION FOR ME: BETTER CHKLIST USE, DON'T BE DISTR FROM FLYING -- EVEN BY ATC. SUGGESTION FOR ATC: HOLD CRITICISM UNTIL WELL AFTER AN INCIDENT TO AVOID FURTHER DISTR.

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.

After missing several clearance requirements, distraction, disoriented pilot manages to recover from descending spiraling turn near smo in small transport aircraft.