Narrative:

Aircraft was descending through 5000 ft; 3 mins from abc fix on IFR flight plan to ZZZ. Controller advised pilot of approach clearance as follows: depart abc on 170 degree radial; intercept vxxx; victor X; YYY direct. Pilot was just entering IMC and was unfamiliar with approach request and did not receive notification of revision from previous controller. Pilot's attention was diverted from monitoring aircraft instruments in an effort to locate vxxx on IFR chart. Pilot's diversion from abc by approximately 2 mi prompted controller's inquiry regarding whether revised approach had been conveyed by previous approach prior to handoff to current approach. Pilot responded that revised clearance was not issued by previous prior to handoff. Controller acknowledged that this was an error on the part of previous approach. Pilot's focus away from instruments and autoplt disengage (unclr whether this was mechanical or pilot error) caused aircraft to enter unusual attitude in hard IFR (nose high and 50 degree bank). Pilot made control inputs to regain control (actual time may have been less than a few mins). Plane deviated from clearance -- course and altitude. Radar vectors were provided by approach and successful ILS approach was made in hard IMC. Pilot acknowledges that appropriate course of action would have been a request for a delay vector or hold to locate fixes issued in clearance. Pilot's diversion from monitoring aircraft heading; altitude and performance contributed to the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN IMC PA32 PILOT BECAME DISORIENTED ENTERING AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE AFTER TRACON ISSUED A COMPLETE ROUTE REVISION AT LOW ALT APCHING THE DEST.

Narrative: ACFT WAS DSNDING THROUGH 5000 FT; 3 MINS FROM ABC FIX ON IFR FLT PLAN TO ZZZ. CTLR ADVISED PLT OF APCH CLRNC AS FOLLOWS: DEPART ABC ON 170 DEG RADIAL; INTERCEPT VXXX; VICTOR X; YYY DIRECT. PLT WAS JUST ENTERING IMC AND WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH APCH REQUEST AND DID NOT RECEIVE NOTIFICATION OF REVISION FROM PREVIOUS CTLR. PLT'S ATTN WAS DIVERTED FROM MONITORING ACFT INSTS IN AN EFFORT TO LOCATE VXXX ON IFR CHART. PLT'S DIVERSION FROM ABC BY APPROX 2 MI PROMPTED CTLR'S INQUIRY REGARDING WHETHER REVISED APCH HAD BEEN CONVEYED BY PREVIOUS APCH PRIOR TO HDOF TO CURRENT APCH. PLT RESPONDED THAT REVISED CLRNC WAS NOT ISSUED BY PREVIOUS PRIOR TO HDOF. CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS WAS AN ERROR ON THE PART OF PREVIOUS APCH. PLT'S FOCUS AWAY FROM INSTS AND AUTOPLT DISENGAGE (UNCLR WHETHER THIS WAS MECHANICAL OR PLT ERROR) CAUSED ACFT TO ENTER UNUSUAL ATTITUDE IN HARD IFR (NOSE HIGH AND 50 DEG BANK). PLT MADE CTL INPUTS TO REGAIN CTL (ACTUAL TIME MAY HAVE BEEN LESS THAN A FEW MINS). PLANE DEVIATED FROM CLRNC -- COURSE AND ALT. RADAR VECTORS WERE PROVIDED BY APCH AND SUCCESSFUL ILS APCH WAS MADE IN HARD IMC. PLT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT APPROPRIATE COURSE OF ACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN A REQUEST FOR A DELAY VECTOR OR HOLD TO LOCATE FIXES ISSUED IN CLRNC. PLT'S DIVERSION FROM MONITORING ACFT HDG; ALT AND PERFORMANCE CONTRIBUTED TO THE SITUATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.