Mooney M20E recovers from unusual attitude with gyro failure in night IMC departing igq.

Attributes
ACN	457606
Time
Date	199912
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl single value : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	M-20 E Super 21
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : other published ifr departure
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 998 flight time type : 363
ASRS Report	457606
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter other non adherence : clearance other anomaly other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : gyro loss of other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : became reoriented none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I filed an IFR flight plan from igq to 1c2. I filed and received a void clearance to depart between XA07-XA12Z. This was less than 10 mins from the time it was issued. I quickly preflted the aircraft, started the engine, taxied to the runway and performed a fast propeller and magneto check. I departed runway 27 at XA12Z and called chicago approach on climb out and heading 220 degrees to cgt. While I made radio contact with chicago approach, I noticed the attitude indicator showing a bank in excess of 50 degrees, while the heading indicator appeared to be spinning. I tried to roll wings level with the turn coordinator, but found myself losing altitude quickly. I recovered from the unusual attitudes while trying to troubleshoot the problem. I was able to recover below the cloud deck and asked chicago approach for heading and distance to lansing airport. I remained VFR and landed. I feel several factors led to this: 1) my accepting a clearance which left me little time to prepare the aircraft and myself for a flight in night IMC. 2) the aircraft was probably running for 5 mins or so after sitting outside for 2 days in 40 degree damp WX. This didn't allow enough time for the gyros to completely spin up. The attitude and heading gyros are older units with many yrs and hours of service, these will be overhauled. 3) the vacuum level has not been checked recently. The aircraft is equipped with a 'low vac' light only. The mechanic said these are historically unreliable. I intend to install a vacuum gauge to eliminate the uncertainty of vacuum level, and have the vacuum regulator adjusted. 4) partial panel procedures. All my initial and recurrent partial panel training has been accomplished using suction cup style covers over the attitude and heading indicator. In this actual event, I found it difficult to ignore the erroneous information presented by these instruments. I found myself overcorrecting and my instrument scan diminished and was more fixation than scan. I wish there was an acceptable method of reducing vacuum to create a realistic partial panel training environment. This will help train pilots to modify their instrument scan and 'tune out' the failed gyros. 5) I found my thought processes and instrument scan declined with the seriousness of the situation. When faced with unusual attitudes 2000 ft or less AGL, decision making ability suffers and thought processes narrow, and become focused on one aspect of the situation. When faced with unusual attitudes 2000 ft or less AGL, decision making ability suffers and thought processes narrow, and become focused on one aspect of the situation instead of analyzing and evaluating the whole situation. This type of training is certainly difficult to simulated. Practicing unusual attitudes under a hood with an instructor cannot create the fear and alarm needed to enlighten the pilot on the mechanics of the human mind. In addition to the aircraft items listed above, I am going to work with my instructor on gyro failure and other in-flight emergencys. Hopefully my experiences will provide insight to others to continue training and remain proficient in normal and emergency flight procedures.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MOONEY M20E RECOVERS FROM UNUSUAL ATTITUDE WITH GYRO FAILURE IN NIGHT IMC DEPARTING IGQ.

Narrative: I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM IGQ TO 1C2. I FILED AND RECEIVED A VOID CLRNC TO DEPART BTWN XA07-XA12Z. THIS WAS LESS THAN 10 MINS FROM THE TIME IT WAS ISSUED. I QUICKLY PREFLTED THE ACFT, STARTED THE ENG, TAXIED TO THE RWY AND PERFORMED A FAST PROP AND MAGNETO CHK. I DEPARTED RWY 27 AT XA12Z AND CALLED CHICAGO APCH ON CLBOUT AND HDG 220 DEGS TO CGT. WHILE I MADE RADIO CONTACT WITH CHICAGO APCH, I NOTICED THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR SHOWING A BANK IN EXCESS OF 50 DEGS, WHILE THE HDG INDICATOR APPEARED TO BE SPINNING. I TRIED TO ROLL WINGS LEVEL WITH THE TURN COORDINATOR, BUT FOUND MYSELF LOSING ALT QUICKLY. I RECOVERED FROM THE UNUSUAL ATTITUDES WHILE TRYING TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB. I WAS ABLE TO RECOVER BELOW THE CLOUD DECK AND ASKED CHICAGO APCH FOR HDG AND DISTANCE TO LANSING ARPT. I REMAINED VFR AND LANDED. I FEEL SEVERAL FACTORS LED TO THIS: 1) MY ACCEPTING A CLRNC WHICH LEFT ME LITTLE TIME TO PREPARE THE ACFT AND MYSELF FOR A FLT IN NIGHT IMC. 2) THE ACFT WAS PROBABLY RUNNING FOR 5 MINS OR SO AFTER SITTING OUTSIDE FOR 2 DAYS IN 40 DEG DAMP WX. THIS DIDN'T ALLOW ENOUGH TIME FOR THE GYROS TO COMPLETELY SPIN UP. THE ATTITUDE AND HDG GYROS ARE OLDER UNITS WITH MANY YRS AND HRS OF SVC, THESE WILL BE OVERHAULED. 3) THE VACUUM LEVEL HAS NOT BEEN CHKED RECENTLY. THE ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH A 'LOW VAC' LIGHT ONLY. THE MECH SAID THESE ARE HISTORICALLY UNRELIABLE. I INTEND TO INSTALL A VACUUM GAUGE TO ELIMINATE THE UNCERTAINTY OF VACUUM LEVEL, AND HAVE THE VACUUM REGULATOR ADJUSTED. 4) PARTIAL PANEL PROCS. ALL MY INITIAL AND RECURRENT PARTIAL PANEL TRAINING HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED USING SUCTION CUP STYLE COVERS OVER THE ATTITUDE AND HDG INDICATOR. IN THIS ACTUAL EVENT, I FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO IGNORE THE ERRONEOUS INFO PRESENTED BY THESE INSTS. I FOUND MYSELF OVERCORRECTING AND MY INST SCAN DIMINISHED AND WAS MORE FIXATION THAN SCAN. I WISH THERE WAS AN ACCEPTABLE METHOD OF REDUCING VACUUM TO CREATE A REALISTIC PARTIAL PANEL TRAINING ENVIRONMENT. THIS WILL HELP TRAIN PLTS TO MODIFY THEIR INST SCAN AND 'TUNE OUT' THE FAILED GYROS. 5) I FOUND MY THOUGHT PROCESSES AND INST SCAN DECLINED WITH THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SIT. WHEN FACED WITH UNUSUAL ATTITUDES 2000 FT OR LESS AGL, DECISION MAKING ABILITY SUFFERS AND THOUGHT PROCESSES NARROW, AND BECOME FOCUSED ON ONE ASPECT OF THE SIT. WHEN FACED WITH UNUSUAL ATTITUDES 2000 FT OR LESS AGL, DECISION MAKING ABILITY SUFFERS AND THOUGHT PROCESSES NARROW, AND BECOME FOCUSED ON ONE ASPECT OF THE SIT INSTEAD OF ANALYZING AND EVALUATING THE WHOLE SIT. THIS TYPE OF TRAINING IS CERTAINLY DIFFICULT TO SIMULATED. PRACTICING UNUSUAL ATTITUDES UNDER A HOOD WITH AN INSTRUCTOR CANNOT CREATE THE FEAR AND ALARM NEEDED TO ENLIGHTEN THE PLT ON THE MECHS OF THE HUMAN MIND. IN ADDITION TO THE ACFT ITEMS LISTED ABOVE, I AM GOING TO WORK WITH MY INSTRUCTOR ON GYRO FAILURE AND OTHER INFLT EMERS. HOPEFULLY MY EXPERIENCES WILL PROVIDE INSIGHT TO OTHERS TO CONTINUE TRAINING AND REMAIN PROFICIENT IN NORMAL AND EMER FLT PROCS.

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.