Narrative:

Relatively new plane I just purchased, and the HSI had been erratic, not holding course or following turns very well. Plane had been sitting a long time and thought it was only stiff and would improve, which at first it seemed to do. With small course changes it was working ok, but when approach gave me final turn to intercept the course, it was almost a 160 degree change, and HSI went crazy as far as knowing my position. I started turn and descent into IMC, and was trying to watch magnetic compass and VOR #2, but with descent and turbulence, was impossible to really stabilize course. I wound up well to left of course chasing the needle, not knowing my heading. When I broke out at about 1200 ft AGL, had a lot of ice on windshield except for hot plate, so it took me a few mins to find airport, and all was ok. I canceled IFR a few moments after breaking out, good visibility and cloud clearance. Moral: don't try instrument approach with faulty directional gyro unless it is prepared for and absolutely necessary.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMT TWIN LOST DIRECTIONAL CTL DURING A NON PRECISION APCH DUE TO A FAULTY DIRECTIONAL GYRO. HIS WINDSHIELD ALSO ICED OVER EXCEPT FOR THE HOT PLATE PORTION.

Narrative: RELATIVELY NEW PLANE I JUST PURCHASED, AND THE HSI HAD BEEN ERRATIC, NOT HOLDING COURSE OR FOLLOWING TURNS VERY WELL. PLANE HAD BEEN SITTING A LONG TIME AND THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY STIFF AND WOULD IMPROVE, WHICH AT FIRST IT SEEMED TO DO. WITH SMALL COURSE CHANGES IT WAS WORKING OK, BUT WHEN APCH GAVE ME FINAL TURN TO INTERCEPT THE COURSE, IT WAS ALMOST A 160 DEG CHANGE, AND HSI WENT CRAZY AS FAR AS KNOWING MY POS. I STARTED TURN AND DSCNT INTO IMC, AND WAS TRYING TO WATCH MAGNETIC COMPASS AND VOR #2, BUT WITH DSCNT AND TURB, WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO REALLY STABILIZE COURSE. I WOUND UP WELL TO L OF COURSE CHASING THE NEEDLE, NOT KNOWING MY HDG. WHEN I BROKE OUT AT ABOUT 1200 FT AGL, HAD A LOT OF ICE ON WINDSHIELD EXCEPT FOR HOT PLATE, SO IT TOOK ME A FEW MINS TO FIND ARPT, AND ALL WAS OK. I CANCELED IFR A FEW MOMENTS AFTER BREAKING OUT, GOOD VISIBILITY AND CLOUD CLRNC. MORAL: DON'T TRY INST APCH WITH FAULTY DIRECTIONAL GYRO UNLESS IT IS PREPARED FOR AND ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

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.