Partial loss of aircraft control when the pilot of a departure IFR C182 engages the autoplt at 2000 ...

Attributes
ACN	561354
Time
Date	200209
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : gvo.vortac
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sba.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 940 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	561354
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : clearance other anomaly other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I had filed an IFR flight plan from santa barbara to paso robles. My intention was to climb on top, clear the area, and cancel. My departure was normal, departed runway 15R. Climbed to 500 ft, turned to 200 degrees and continued the climb to 3000 ft. I was to receive vectors to gaviota VOR. I was told to turn to 250 degrees and continue the climb. I had set the autoplt and then turned it to the desired course. Just after I set the autoplt it rolled the plane over to a 45-50 degree bank. I turned off the autoplt and corrected the roll. This took a min or so. During this time, departure control asked me if I had a problem. I replied that the directional gyroscope had failed. Since the exact heading and altitudes are only being recalled from memory I expect that the ground track and altitude maintained by ATC is much more accurate than my memory. I was extremely busy trying to fly the plane. Contributing factors? En route from fhr to sba I lost my engine driven vacuum pump. I switched to a standby vacuum pump and continued the flight to sba. At sba the vacuum pump was replaced. When I took off, both pumps were on. En route to fhr I tried the autoplt in the same manner as I used during departure (but in VFR conditions). It did the same thing, it rolled the plane over to about 40 degrees of bank. On the trip I continued to use the autoplt and observed that it would hunt for the course. It would wander back and forth about 3-4 degrees on either side of the entered course. I am investigating to determine the cause of the malfunction.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PARTIAL LOSS OF ACFT CTL WHEN THE PLT OF A DEP IFR C182 ENGAGES THE AUTOPLT AT 2000 FT WHICH THEN ROLLS THE ACFT 50 DEGS ON ITS LATERAL AXIS 3 NM SW OF SBA, CA.

Narrative: I HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM SANTA BARBARA TO PASO ROBLES. MY INTENTION WAS TO CLB ON TOP, CLR THE AREA, AND CANCEL. MY DEP WAS NORMAL, DEPARTED RWY 15R. CLBED TO 500 FT, TURNED TO 200 DEGS AND CONTINUED THE CLB TO 3000 FT. I WAS TO RECEIVE VECTORS TO GAVIOTA VOR. I WAS TOLD TO TURN TO 250 DEGS AND CONTINUE THE CLB. I HAD SET THE AUTOPLT AND THEN TURNED IT TO THE DESIRED COURSE. JUST AFTER I SET THE AUTOPLT IT ROLLED THE PLANE OVER TO A 45-50 DEG BANK. I TURNED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND CORRECTED THE ROLL. THIS TOOK A MIN OR SO. DURING THIS TIME, DEP CTL ASKED ME IF I HAD A PROB. I REPLIED THAT THE DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE HAD FAILED. SINCE THE EXACT HEADING AND ALTS ARE ONLY BEING RECALLED FROM MEMORY I EXPECT THAT THE GND TRACK AND ALT MAINTAINED BY ATC IS MUCH MORE ACCURATE THAN MY MEMORY. I WAS EXTREMELY BUSY TRYING TO FLY THE PLANE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS? ENRTE FROM FHR TO SBA I LOST MY ENG DRIVEN VACUUM PUMP. I SWITCHED TO A STANDBY VACUUM PUMP AND CONTINUED THE FLT TO SBA. AT SBA THE VACUUM PUMP WAS REPLACED. WHEN I TOOK OFF, BOTH PUMPS WERE ON. ENRTE TO FHR I TRIED THE AUTOPLT IN THE SAME MANNER AS I USED DURING DEP (BUT IN VFR CONDITIONS). IT DID THE SAME THING, IT ROLLED THE PLANE OVER TO ABOUT 40 DEGS OF BANK. ON THE TRIP I CONTINUED TO USE THE AUTOPLT AND OBSERVED THAT IT WOULD HUNT FOR THE COURSE. IT WOULD WANDER BACK AND FORTH ABOUT 3-4 DEGS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ENTERED COURSE. I AM INVESTIGATING TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTION.

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.

Partial loss of aircraft control when the pilot of a departure IFR C182 engages the autoplt at 2000 ft which then rolls the aircraft 50 degrees on its lateral axis 3 NM southwest of sba, ca.