A36 crash

Perhaps the kind of service performed is a clue. What if he had been
having
trouble with the HSI, for instance?


Pretty hard to imagine how a faulty HSI would cause loss of control--
even in inadvertent IMC....

--
Cheers,
John Clonts
Temple, Texas
N7NZ

"John Clonts" wrote:

Pretty hard to imagine how a faulty HSI would cause loss of control--
even in inadvertent IMC....

Might that not contribute to the pilot's becming disoriented?

Anyway, that was just an example. It might have been the AI portion of the
display, instead.

If I had to bet, though, my money would be on simple spatial disorientation.
Until you've had it happen to you, you just don't know how easily you can
become completely fuzzled at night if you're not on your guard.
--
Dan
C-172RG at BFM

On 20 Apr 2005 12:15:04 -0700, "John Clonts"
wrote:

Perhaps the kind of service performed is a clue. What if he had been
having
trouble with the HSI, for instance?


Pretty hard to imagine how a faulty HSI would cause loss of control--
even in inadvertent IMC....

You don't fly IFR do you? :-))
An AI, or HSI usually fails slowly. It just slowly rolls over to one
side or the other. If the pilot doesn't have a good scan technique he
just rolls with it.

I've flown that area and had the weather get really hazy just before
dark. Still VMC, but enough to start relying on the gauges.
I've also gotten caught down there when the visability went for good
to nil in a very short time. It wasn't real problem, but if you aren't
prepared it can scare you and getting disoriented is a strong likely
hood.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

Pretty hard to imagine how a faulty HSI would cause loss of
control-even in inadvertent IMC....

You don't fly IFR do you? :-))
An AI, or HSI usually fails slowly. It just slowly rolls over to one
side or the other. If the pilot doesn't have a good scan technique
he just rolls with it.

Yes, but probably not as much as you.

Agreed about the AI, disagree about the HSI.

Seems to me there's a BIG difference in the implications and dangers
between AI failing, which can cause loss of airplane ATTITUDE control,
and and HSI or DG failing, which could cause some loss of NAVIGATIONAL
awareness.

If your Horizontal Situation Indicator gradually turns to an incorrect
heading, do you think you might gradually, unknowingly, increase your
bank angle trying to "follow" it? Or maybe the CDI going off-scale
would induce you into a 60-degree bank trying to "catch it"? I think
not.

--
Cheers,
John Clonts
Temple, Texas
N7NZ

Roger wrote:

On 20 Apr 2005 12:15:04 -0700, "John Clonts"
wrote:


Perhaps the kind of service performed is a clue. What if he had been

having

trouble with the HSI, for instance?


Pretty hard to imagine how a faulty HSI would cause loss of control--
even in inadvertent IMC....


You don't fly IFR do you? :-))
An AI, or HSI usually fails slowly. It just slowly rolls over to one
side or the other. If the pilot doesn't have a good scan technique he
just rolls with it.

I've flown that area and had the weather get really hazy just before
dark. Still VMC, but enough to start relying on the gauges.
I've also gotten caught down there when the visability went for good
to nil in a very short time. It wasn't real problem, but if you aren't
prepared it can scare you and getting disoriented is a strong likely
hood.

Losing a navigation instrument isn't a very good excuse to lose attitude
control even in IMC.


Matt