 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A C172 pilot flying an IMC ILS experienced spatial disorientation with an altitude loss. He recovered and completed the approach.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 656600 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200504 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 2500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : zzz1.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 255 flight time type : 70 |
| ASRS Report | 656600 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
While being vectored for the ILS approach; I suffered spatial disorientation and entered an unusual attitude. This resulted in altitude loss; likely below the altitude I had been cleared to. This likely resulted from my inexperience in operating in actual IMC. The controller had given me my approach clearance while in a descending turn just as I had entered a cloud. This quickly overwhelmed me. After I recovered and read back the clearance; the controller instructed me to contact the tower. He made no mention of any altitude deviation. I feel that if I had ignored the radio and focused on flying the aircraft; it would have been much less likely that I would have lost control.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A C172 PLT FLYING AN IMC ILS EXPERIENCED SPATIAL DISORIENTATION WITH AN ALT LOSS. HE RECOVERED AND COMPLETED THE APCH.
Narrative: WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR THE ILS APCH; I SUFFERED SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND ENTERED AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE. THIS RESULTED IN ALT LOSS; LIKELY BELOW THE ALT I HAD BEEN CLRED TO. THIS LIKELY RESULTED FROM MY INEXPERIENCE IN OPERATING IN ACTUAL IMC. THE CTLR HAD GIVEN ME MY APCH CLRNC WHILE IN A DSNDING TURN JUST AS I HAD ENTERED A CLOUD. THIS QUICKLY OVERWHELMED ME. AFTER I RECOVERED AND READ BACK THE CLRNC; THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT THE TWR. HE MADE NO MENTION OF ANY ALTDEV. I FEEL THAT IF I HAD IGNORED THE RADIO AND FOCUSED ON FLYING THE ACFT; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH LESS LIKELY THAT I WOULD HAVE LOST CTL.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.