Narrative:

A student reported a failed altitude gyro flag during a cessna citation type rating training flight. I was an observer. The instructor's response was 'use the standby gyro.' during my training flight, the instructor banged on the top of the instrument panel, resetting the gyro and the failed flag. I assumed there was some reason the instructor continued the flight, obviously a person of this guy's experience and knowledge knew something I didn't. Perhaps this was an MEL item where if it failed we could still fly. I didn't ask that question. The next day, I again had a training flight where the attitude gyro continued failing intermittently. Then my type rating check ride, again the gyro failed, in night IMC. The flight instructor and examiner overrode my declaration of the failure and I finally located the miniature turn and bank indicator. It was undampened and useless. The standby gyro was unlit. I didn't trust the flight instructor's instruments or ability to get this plane on the ground safely, so despite my instrument failures, I continued flying partial panel. The instructor called for the next check ride maneuver, an emergency descent that took us from the ILS downwind vector to the FAF and final approach. The examiner called for the instrument approach as I was trying to recover the aircraft from the emergency descent, and the gyro failed again. We were at 130 KTS over vref at that time. I was not about to go missed approach or do a go around with those failed instruments, and the instructor would not allow me to trim the aircraft, so I fought the walrus down final. I elected to land short of the touchdown zone markers, on the runway numbers, which saved about 1000 ft of runway. We were able to stop with 800 ft of runway, 1800 ft of pavement remaining. I discussed the aircraft situation with my maintenance mentors the next day. Those flts were completely illegal and the gyro is not an MEL item. After my discussion with the school owner, where he decided the gyros 'were not a problem' and would not be fixed, I wrote a letter to the FAA requesting this aircraft be grounded until the gyros were fixed. Of course, because I reported the problem, I will most likely face a suspension of revocation of my mechanic, instructor, and/or pilot certificates. I already have the 'pink slip' for failing the type rating check ride because I landed short of the touchdown zone markers. These are things I wish could be easily corrected, but when the operator refuses, I feel I have no choice. I could have looked the other way, but I didn't.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C500 PLT TRAINING AND ON A CHK RIDE FOR A TYPE RATING, EXPERIENCES AN ATTITUDE FAILURE MULTIPLE TIMES. THE INSTRUCTOR AND OWNER SAID THAT IT WAS OK AND LEGAL. THE STUDENT LATER FOUND OUT FROM MAINT THAT IT WAS NOT LEGAL.

Narrative: A STUDENT RPTED A FAILED ALT GYRO FLAG DURING A CESSNA CITATION TYPE RATING TRAINING FLT. I WAS AN OBSERVER. THE INSTRUCTOR'S RESPONSE WAS 'USE THE STANDBY GYRO.' DURING MY TRAINING FLT, THE INSTRUCTOR BANGED ON THE TOP OF THE INST PANEL, RESETTING THE GYRO AND THE FAILED FLAG. I ASSUMED THERE WAS SOME REASON THE INSTRUCTOR CONTINUED THE FLT, OBVIOUSLY A PERSON OF THIS GUY'S EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE KNEW SOMETHING I DIDN'T. PERHAPS THIS WAS AN MEL ITEM WHERE IF IT FAILED WE COULD STILL FLY. I DIDN'T ASK THAT QUESTION. THE NEXT DAY, I AGAIN HAD A TRAINING FLT WHERE THE ATTITUDE GYRO CONTINUED FAILING INTERMITTENTLY. THEN MY TYPE RATING CHK RIDE, AGAIN THE GYRO FAILED, IN NIGHT IMC. THE FLT INSTRUCTOR AND EXAMINER OVERRODE MY DECLARATION OF THE FAILURE AND I FINALLY LOCATED THE MINIATURE TURN AND BANK INDICATOR. IT WAS UNDAMPENED AND USELESS. THE STANDBY GYRO WAS UNLIT. I DIDN'T TRUST THE FLT INSTRUCTOR'S INSTS OR ABILITY TO GET THIS PLANE ON THE GND SAFELY, SO DESPITE MY INST FAILURES, I CONTINUED FLYING PARTIAL PANEL. THE INSTRUCTOR CALLED FOR THE NEXT CHK RIDE MANEUVER, AN EMER DSCNT THAT TOOK US FROM THE ILS DOWNWIND VECTOR TO THE FAF AND FINAL APCH. THE EXAMINER CALLED FOR THE INST APCH AS I WAS TRYING TO RECOVER THE ACFT FROM THE EMER DSCNT, AND THE GYRO FAILED AGAIN. WE WERE AT 130 KTS OVER VREF AT THAT TIME. I WAS NOT ABOUT TO GO MISSED APCH OR DO A GAR WITH THOSE FAILED INSTS, AND THE INSTRUCTOR WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO TRIM THE ACFT, SO I FOUGHT THE WALRUS DOWN FINAL. I ELECTED TO LAND SHORT OF THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE MARKERS, ON THE RWY NUMBERS, WHICH SAVED ABOUT 1000 FT OF RWY. WE WERE ABLE TO STOP WITH 800 FT OF RWY, 1800 FT OF PAVEMENT REMAINING. I DISCUSSED THE ACFT SIT WITH MY MAINT MENTORS THE NEXT DAY. THOSE FLTS WERE COMPLETELY ILLEGAL AND THE GYRO IS NOT AN MEL ITEM. AFTER MY DISCUSSION WITH THE SCHOOL OWNER, WHERE HE DECIDED THE GYROS 'WERE NOT A PROB' AND WOULD NOT BE FIXED, I WROTE A LETTER TO THE FAA REQUESTING THIS ACFT BE GNDED UNTIL THE GYROS WERE FIXED. OF COURSE, BECAUSE I RPTED THE PROB, I WILL MOST LIKELY FACE A SUSPENSION OF REVOCATION OF MY MECH, INSTRUCTOR, AND/OR PLT CERTIFICATES. I ALREADY HAVE THE 'PINK SLIP' FOR FAILING THE TYPE RATING CHK RIDE BECAUSE I LANDED SHORT OF THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE MARKERS. THESE ARE THINGS I WISH COULD BE EASILY CORRECTED, BUT WHEN THE OPERATOR REFUSES, I FEEL I HAVE NO CHOICE. I COULD HAVE LOOKED THE OTHER WAY, BUT I DIDN'T.

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.